title: Case report: dealing with a ventilation complication after successful cricothyrotomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cricothyrotomy is a rare procedure in the Emergency Department, but necessary in cases where endotracheal intubation has failed and the patient cannot be ventilated. After establishing a cricothyrotomy, ventilation may be difficult, depending on the etiology of the patient's respiratory failure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This case highlights a successful cricothyrotomy that needed further direct intervention to correct an air leak from the patient's mouth.
  
  
  METHODS
  A novel double-bag technique (DBT), where an Ambu(®) bag (Ambu Inc., Glen Burnie, MD) was connected to the cricothyrotomy catheter and another Ambu bag placed over the mouth and nose, was employed to help solve the post-cricothyrotomy air leak problem.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was only after this DBT technique was initiated that we were able to properly ventilate and oxygenate the patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, San Diego, California, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kei
authors.forename: Paul B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Dohrenwend
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003413:Cricoid Cartilage / Q000601:surgery*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000379:methods*; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000628:therapy; D013957:Thyroid Cartilage / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen