Quote:
Originally Posted by abisel
Stupid is what stupid does.
"Hold my beer and watch this."
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The real concern here is paradoxically not only airway burns as much as airway cold injury. The gas expanding as it decompresses drops its temperature in some cases sufficiently to cause cold injury to the airway. This can cause delayed oedema (swelling) of airway tissues and loss of the airway.
On the left is a normal airway.
When you see the one on the right at 2 am, you 'aim for the bubble' and ask that the emergency cricothyroidotomy tray be opened.
When it's over, you have a scotch.
(The white rod is an introducer that you slide the ET-Tube, or breathing tube, over.)