The “Can’t Intubate, Can’t Oxygenate” (CICO) situation, while rare, is one of the most emergent and stressful scenarios ever faced by airway practitioners. Failure to provide adequate oxygenation can rapidly result in hypoxic brain injury and death. Emergency front of neck access provides a last resort, lifesaving route for the invasive oxygenation of patients. Adequate forward planning as well as recognition of at-risk patients is critical to avoidance of CICO situations. Multiple strategies exist for performing emergency front of neck access, and much debate exist as to which strategy is superior. All airway practitioners should be trained in at least one method of emergency front of neck access, as it may be required in unfamiliar environments at any time. A thorough understanding of the anatomy involved is important to avoid complications, and regular training has been shown to be vital to the maintenance of the skill. It is often the case that front of neck access is performed too late and a great emphasis has been placed on promoting a timely performance of the procedure.
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