Use of a gum elastic bougie (GEB) in a zone II penetrating neck trauma: a case report.

A 54-year-old man presented with a deep zone II neck injury accompanied by profuse bleeding secondary to attempting suicide by slashing his anterior neck with a knife. Blind passage of the endotracheal tube (ETT) into the glottis through the open anterior neck was unsuccessful. In a second attempt a gum elastic bougie (GEB) was inserted directly through the vocal cord, and "tracheal clicking" and a "hold up" were appreciated. The ETT was then easily fed over the GEB and was successfully passed into the trachea. The patient underwent operative repair and tracheostomy, and he left the hospital 2 days later with his baseline mental status. The use and the benefits of the GEB are reviewed.