Cricothyrotomy is an emergency procedure that is used to obtain an airway when other, more routine methods are ineffective or contraindicated. For most of us it is not part of our daily routine to perform a cricothyrotomy in the hospital, let alone in the outdoors. This case report describes an improvised cricothyrotomy performed with a pocket knife and Platypus hydration pack by 2 emergency physicians on a climber with facial trauma who fell about 1500 feet.

You can read the article here.