The use of cricoid pressure during rapid sequence induction in trauma patients – UK and European practice compared

Abstract

Introduction There is ongoing debate and conflicting evidence surrounding the place of cricoid pressure (CP) as part of a rapid sequence induction (RSI) of anaesthesia. This study investigated the current use of CP during trauma RSI and compared reported practice in the UK with the rest of Europe. Methods An anonymised, web-based survey was sent to all clinicians registered as European Trauma Course instructors. Results CP use was reported by 83.1% of UK respondents and 39.4% from the rest of Europe, with an overall reported use of 49.8%. Anaesthetists use CP less commonly (35.6%) than clinicians from other specialties (63.6%). The most common reason given for not using CP (76.7%) was a perceived lack of evidence of effectiveness. Conclusion Generally the use of CP appears to be in decline with only half of all clinicians reporting to use it; however it remains much more commonly used in the UK than the rest of Europe.