Device and surgical airway

Tube, trach, laryngectomy, exchange, cuff leak, and front-of-neck issues.

Tracheostomy EmergencyTrach emergencies require knowing whether the tract is fresh or mature, whether the patient has an upper airway, and where oxygenation can occur.Trach Bleeding AirwayBleeding from a trach can represent a sentinel bleed from tracheo-innominate fistula until proven otherwise.Laryngectomy AirwayA total laryngectomy patient breathes only through the stoma; oral/nasal ventilation will not oxygenate them.Tube Exchange / Cuff LeakTube exchange is an airway procedure; losing the airway is the main risk.Accidental Extubation AirwayTreat as a new airway with a known recent failure mode.Postoperative Neck Hematoma AirwayNeck hematoma can rapidly compress the airway; decompression may be life-saving.Cricothyrotomy / Front-of-Neck AccessFront-of-neck access is a declared rescue action, not an afterthought.

About this resource

Created by: Andrew Pirotte, MD; Kyle Brown, MD; Reba Hodge, MD; Amanda Vanderwerf, PharmD, BCEMP; Morgan Kimball, PharmD, BCEMP; Joshua Mohess Clinical review: Clinical review pending: local ED, ICU, EMS, anesthesia, pharmacy, and pediatric protocol review recommended before bedside teaching rollout. Last reviewed: 2026-07-23 Next scheduled review: 2027-01-23 Designed for: EM residents, emergency physicians, EMS clinicians, airway educators, and simulation faculty Important: Educational resource and cognitive-aid guide only; not a bedside order set or substitute for local protocol, medical direction, or clinical judgment. Website contact: kybrown@kumc.edu