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Despite the advent of new devices and techniques for emergency airway management, cricothyrotomy remains an essential skill. However, opinions differ regarding the best way to achieve an emergency surgical airway. These authors compared time to ventilation, success rates, and user preference among four emergency cricothyrotomy techniques: percutaneous Minitrach II kit (not available in the U.S.), single-step trocar-based Quicktrach kit, Seldinger-based percutaneous Melker kit, and an open surgical method. In a prospective study, 23 Australian emergency physicians and trainees performed cricothyrotomy on a manikin (developed by the authors) using each technique in random order. Participants were inexperienced in cricothyrotomy (average, 1.5 …