Front of neck access to the airway: A narrative review

摘要

The concept of Front of Neck Access (FONA) covers a large amount of techniques, principles, problems and debates. The aim of this review is to discuss the issue of FONA with special regard to the sole cri-cothyrotomy, including all technical issues starting from landmark identification to different approaches, either surgical or percutaneous. Other open questions remain, such as choice of inner diameter, presence of a cuff, potential advantages of Seldinger based techniques, including bougie assisted ones, timing and decision making. Despite being a simple maneuver, cricothyrotomy remains a very complex concept, which should be a core skill of any physician approaching the airway and as simple as it is, it can make the difference between life and death.