Cricoid Pressure

Cricoid pressure, also called the Sellick maneuver, is a technique in which backward pressure is applied to the cricoid cartilage of the neck, intended to occlude the esophagus directly behind it and prevent the aspiration of stomach contents into the lungs. It is applied with a force of about 20 to 44 newtons, primarily during rapid sequence induction, the technique used when a patient needs to be intubated urgently, and also during resuscitation when intubation is delayed or not possible. Although widely used during rapid sequence induction for nearly fifty years, the technique became controversial as evidence accumulated questioning its effectiveness and suggesting that it may instead displace the esophagus sideways rather than compress it as originally intended, leading the American Heart Association to discourage its routine use from 2010 onward.