The Knowledge of Health Professionals About the Application of Cricoid Pressure in a Low-Income Country: A Single-Center Survey Study

Figures & data

Table 1 Assessment of Knowledge of Health Care Professionals on Cricoid Pressure Application at Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, 2020 (n=43)

Knowledge on Cricoid Pressure		Anesthetists		Physician		Nurse
		Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Where did you learn to apply cricoid pressure?	Shown on a patient during clinical practice or student attachment	10	56	13	100	9	75
	By reading only	0	0	0	0	2	17
	By practicing on a model or manikin	8	44	0	0	1
	I have never been taught about it	0	0	0	0	0	8
Where does cricoid cartilage lie	In front of the thyroid cartilage	1	6	0	0	1	9
	Behind the thyroid cartilage	0	0	0	0	4	33
	Below the thyroid cartilage	17	94	13	100	4	33
	Behind the esophagus	0	0	0	0	3	25
Use of cricoid pressure	Prevent aspiration of stomach contents during induction of anesthesia	18	100	13	100	8	67
	Prevent patient breathing during anesthesia	0	0	0	0	4	33
	Prevent patient vomiting during anesthesia	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Prevent gastric gas insufflation during bag mask ventilation	0	0	0	0	0	0
cricoid pressure in awake patient	10 N	10	56	0	0	1	8.5
	20 N	6	33	0	0	1	8.5
	30 N	2	11	0	0	0	0
	50 N	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Do not know	0	0	13	100	10	83
cricoid pressure in anesthetized	10 N	2	11	0	0	0	0
	20 N	0	0	0	0	0	0
	30 N	10	56	0	0	2	17
	50 N	6	33	0	0	0	0
	Do not know	0	0	0	0	10	83
Correct measure if a patient vomit during cricoid pressure Application	Maintain the same force and suction the patient’s pharynx	2	11	8	62	3	25
	Increase the force and suction the patient’s pharynx	2	11	3	23	3	25
	Decrease the force and suction the pharynx	2	11	0	0	5	42
	Release the force and suction the patient’s pharynx	12	67	2	15	1	8
When to release cricoid pressure	After intubation	0	0	5	38.5	5	42
	After inflation of the cuff	2	11	3	23	2	17
	After confirmation the position of endotracheal tube	16	89	5	38.5	4	33
	I do not know	0	0	0	0	1	8

Note: N, Newton.

Table 2 Assessment of the Practice of Cricoid Pressure in Anesthetists Who are Working at Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, 2020 (n=18)

Practice of Cricoid Pressure		Number of Anesthetists	%
Do you routinely mask ventilate during rapid sequence induction	Yes	5	28
	No	13	72
Do you decompress the stomach by nasogastric tube before rapid sequence induction	yes	4	22
	no	14	78
Do you remove nasogastric tube before rapid sequence induction?	Yes	3	17
	No	15	83
Have you witnessed regurgitation during application of cricoid pressure?	Yes	5	28
	No	13	72
Have you experienced difficulty to intubate during application of cricoid pressure?	Yes	15	83
	No	9	17