Journal of perioperative practice
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Comparative Study
A comparative prospective cohort study comparing physical exam to ultrasound for identifying the cricoid cartilage.
Applying cricoid pressure is a common practice when intubating patients thought to be at risk of pulmonary aspiration. Recently, the perceived benefits of applying cricoid pressure have been questioned. ⋯ The median distance to target was 10 mm. We concluded that palpation is an inaccurate method to locate the cricoid cartilage in the studied population.