Case

EMTs are responding to an emergency call to a building site. At the scene, they find a patient with acute respiratory difficulty. The EMTs observe a nail from a nail gun impaling the patients neck at the level of the hyoid bone. The left side of their face is pale and there is an expanding mass deep to the skin at the site of the nail. The patient starts to cough blood and struggles to breathe, losing consciousness.

Question 3/3 - Type into the boxes layers that you have to pass through when making the cricothyrotomy opening at the midline?

Click on the answer list to check your work.

Case Complete

















- Skin - Epidermis
          - Dermis
          - Hypodermis
- Platysma
- Deep cervical fascia
- Pre-tracheal layer of deep cervical fascia
- Cricothyroid membrane
- Airspace entered

Note, we are superior to the thyroid gland, so that is not transected during the procedure.  Also, as the incision is made at the midline, the strap muscles being a little to the left and right of the midline are typically not transected while making the opening.