Airway Ultrasound in Critically Ill Patients: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Airway assessment and management have a central role in critical care medicine. Airway ultrasound can help us evaluate the anatomy, facilitate interventions such as intubation in difficult airways and tracheostomy, prevent post-extubation complications, and diagnose dysphagia. In this review, we will summarize the current use of ultrasound in airway assessment and management in critically ill patients.

A Novel Simulation Model for Training Emergency Medicine Residents in the Ultrasound Identification of Landmarks for Cricothyrotomy

“…Cricothyrotomy is a high-acuity, low-opportunity procedure; therefore, emergency medicine (EM) trainees must obtain experience in evaluating these types of patients prior to performing cricothyrotomy. Ultrasound (US) has been found to be superior compared to palpation to accurately identify significant anatomic landmarks of the anterior neck [6][7][8], making it a potentially useful tool when predicting a difficult anterior airway and planning for cricothyrotomy. However, the utility and accuracy of US is highly dependent on the ability of the operator to acquire images of adequate diagnostic quality, highlighting a need for adequate training in EM residency.…”