Man Saves Own Life, Uses Steak Knife for At-Home Tracheotomy

[K Frame]

But the guy with the tracheotomy would very likely get winded a LOT earlier than the guy with one arm. Once that happens, the one-armed hiker could dance circles around him and pummel him.

Trachs increase O2 access to the lungs. Sorry Mike, the guy with the Trach would likely last longer.

Medical tracheotomies do.

I sincerely doubt that that would be the case with someone using a steak knife and the nearest available tube.

[SomeKid]

But the guy with the tracheotomy would very likely get winded a LOT earlier than the guy with one arm. Once that happens, the one-armed hiker could dance circles around him and pummel him.

Trachs increase O2 access to the lungs. Sorry Mike, the guy with the Trach would likely last longer.

Medical tracheotomies do.

I sincerely doubt that that would be the case with someone using a steak knife and the nearest available tube.

If his tubing worked to save his life, it was good enough. If you ever get to watch trach care performed (hang around me for a while, I did it a few months ago on one of my patients. I am sure I will get another one day) you will be underwhelmed at the sophistication.

[The Annoyed Man]

Until I hear of a DIY vasectomy then these two guys are not that tough.

Been done IIRC. Some guy who lived in former East Germany, where it was illegal to sterilize oneself at that time. He figured he had all the kids he wanted, so he got it done with the help of a scalpel and a book on anatomy.
Later on he went even further and split his entire penis. Only he and God knows why...

[K Frame]

Yes, the tubing worked to save his life.

That's not the point of the sub exercise, which is who would win in a fight -- one arm or hole neck.

I have see an emergency trach done. I was holding the woman's head still while the paramedic did the cutting.

[Mabs2]

Eesh
Gives me the heebers.
But I'm going to supplement my daily gear with a small straw, just in case...

[MillCreek]

Hmm, I used to be a paramedic, and I was not trained to do a trach.  I was trained, and did do a few cricothyrotomies in the field.  Perhaps contemporary paramedic training in some locales does include a trach.  It is much faster and easier to do a crico, though.

[DJJ]

My money's on "lefty". All he really needs is one finger to stick into "wheezy's" hole.

[K Frame]

You need something more durable than a straw, something that won't compress easily. In the episode of MASH they used the stem off a plastic eye dropper (I wonder if they were using plastic commonly back then in medicine bottles?)...

The tracheal cartilage reinforce the trachea and keep it open. If you stick your finger in the notch at the top of your breast bone and feel there up to your Adam's Apple (either the cricoid or thyroid cartilage, it's been a long time since anatomy class), you'll feel several distinct rings. That's the tracheal cartilage. They're spaced fairly close together, and if the tube you use isn't durable enough, it will crush.

[Phyphor]

Good question.

Both are nuts....I'd think the arm guy....took longer to do....

With a dull swiss army knife.  He had to break the bone with a rock.  Hands down winner.

Yea, I remember that.  That dude must clang when he walks.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

pharmicists mate on a russian sub did the appendectomy bit 30 years ago

[Mabs2]

[wmenorr67]

Actually on the MASH episode it was a pen tube not an eye dropper if I remember correctly.