Pre-hospital emergency cricothyrotomy in dogs part 2: Airway sealing and ventilation using cricothyrotomy tubes.

Cricothyrotomy (CTT) has been recommended for use in the pre-hospital setting for military working dogs and Operational K9s during airway emergencies. Although the CTT can establish a patent airway for spontaneous ventilation, the ability to seal the airway and provide positive pressure ventilation (PPV) using tubes designed for humans has not been determined. Using various CTT tubes placed in cadaver dog airways, this study aimed to determine: (1) Whether the tube cuff could create a functional airway seal with safe intra-cuff pressures; (2) The magnitude of delivered tidal volume (TV) loss during a standard breath to assess the possibility of delivering an adequate tidal volume with a bag-valve device (BVM); (3) The best performing tubes for either test; (4) The reasons behind the findings using observations from upper airway endoscopy, dissection, and measurements.

A proposed improvised pleural drainage system for veterinary use.

Background: Active pleural suction devices may be required for continuous drainage of pleural fluid or air. Such devices may not always be available or economical to stock at all veterinary hospitals. Three designs of pleural drainage systems adapted from standard suction canisters are proposed.

A Proposed Guideline for Performance of Emergency Surgical Airways in Small Animals: Analysis of Five Unsuccessfully Managed Cannot Intubate, Cannot Oxygenate Cases.

Objective-To describe three dogs and two cats diagnosed with a cannot intubate, cannot oxygenate (CICO) condition, and discuss the appropriateness and timing of emergency front-of-neck airway access (eFONA). The authors aim to increase awareness of CICO events and effective management strategies, which may result in faster airway access and improve patient outcomes. Case series summary-Three dogs and two cats could not be easily intubated resulting in the inability to deliver oxygen and contributing to their death.

Prehospital Emergency Cricothyrotomy in Dogs Part 1: Experiences With Commercial Cricothyrotomy Kits.

The surgical cricothyrotomy (CTT) has been recommended for emergency front of neck airway access (eFONA) during a cannot intubate, cannot oxygenate scenario for military working dogs (MWD) and civilian law enforcement working dogs (operational K9s). In prehospital and austere environments, combat medics and emergency medical service providers are expected to administer emergency medical care to working dogs and may only have emergency airway kits designed for humans at their disposal. The objective of this article is to provide a detailed description of the application of such devices in cadaver dogs and highlight potential alterations to manufacturer guidelines required for successful tube placement.

Cricothyrotomy Is Faster Than Tracheostomy for Emergency Front-of-Neck Airway Access in Dogs.

In novice final year veterinary students, we sought to: (1) compare the procedure time between a novel cricothyrotomy (CTT) technique and an abbreviated tracheostomy (TT) technique in canine cadavers, (2) assess the success rate of each procedure, (3) assess the complication rate of each procedure via a damage score, (4) evaluate the technical difficulty of each procedure and (5) determine the preferred procedure of study participants for emergency front-of-neck access. A prospective, cross-over, block randomised trial was performed, where veterinary students completed CTT and TT procedures on cadaver dogs. Eight students were recruited and performed 32 procedures on 16 dogs.

A pilot study evaluating the utility of a novel tube cricothyrotomy technique in providing ventilation in small animals using a live porcine model.

Background: Tube cricothyrotomy has been suggested as a first-choice for emergency surgical airway access in small animals, rather than the more commonly accepted procedures of tracheotomy and needle cricothyrotomy.

Methods: A small pilot study of tube cricothyrotomy in a live porcine model was conducted to evaluate this method. The technique was modified to permit the use of commonly available equipment and ease of application.