Failed intubation and emergency percutaneous tracheostomy.

Failed intubation associated with difficulty with ventilation is rare. Cricothyrotomy may provide a means of oxygenating the patient, but in practice it may be difficult to perform and does not establish a definitive airway. We report two patients in whom percutaneous tracheostomy was used as an emergency procedure. In both cases placement was extremely rapid and salvaged the situation, leaving a definitive airway.