Abstract
The surgical cricothyrotomy (CTT) has been recommended for emergency front of neck airway access (eFONA) during a cannot intubate, cannot oxygenate scenario for military working dogs (MWD) and civilian law enforcement working dogs (operational K9s). In prehospital and austere environments, combat medics and emergency medical service providers are expected to administer emergency medical care to working dogs and may only have emergency airway kits designed for humans at their disposal. The objective of this article is to provide a detailed description of the application of such devices in cadaver dogs and highlight potential alterations to manufacturer guidelines required for successful tube placement. The kits evaluated included the Portex® PCK, Melker universal cricothyrotomy kit and H&H® emergency cricothyrotomy kit. A novel technique for awake cricothyrotomy in the dog is also described, which can also be considered for in-hospital use, together with the open surgical method described for the H&H® kit. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first publication documenting and providing instruction on the application of commercial cricothyrotomy kits in dogs.
Highlights
Military working dogs and Operational K9s serve as invaluable assets to armed forces and law enforcement agencies around the world, with their unique abilities remaining unmatched by man or machine [1]
It is accepted that primary care of critically injured dogs on the battlefield is administered by deployed human healthcare providers [2, 3] and there are formal reports of military medics rendering prehospital care to military working dogs (MWD) [4, 5]
Rapid sequence induction (RSI) is a common technique designed for quickly achieving an adequate depth of anaesthesia to manage a patient with a compromised airway
Summary
It is accepted that primary care of critically injured dogs on the battlefield is administered by deployed human healthcare providers [2, 3] and there are formal reports of military medics rendering prehospital care to MWDs [4, 5]. Due to their invaluable contribution to military operations, the money invested in their training and the strong bond with their handlers, the expectation by the U.S military is that MWDs receive the same level of care as their human counterparts [2]. Baker et al, reported that all MWDs who survived gunshot wounds returned to duty, even those with relatively high injury scores [4]
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