Tracheal Hook

North American Rescue — Airway Instrument

A purpose-built retraction hook that holds the cricothyroid opening clear during tube placement in a surgical airway — optimized for one-handed use under field conditions.

Once the cricothyroid membrane is opened, the cut edges want to collapse inward and close off the tracheal lumen. Lose that opening and tube placement gets dramatically harder — and a misplaced tube costs the airway.

What holds the airway open while the other hand drives the tube?

The NAR Tracheal Hook gives a credentialed provider a dedicated point of retraction. It's built for one-handed operation — hold the opening clear with one hand while advancing the tube or bougie with the other — where a bulky OR-style hook would demand two hands or too much room. At 1 oz it adds nothing to the kit, and it's a standard component of both the NAR BAC-Pack and Tactical CricKit, also sold standalone for custom builds or replacement.

Provider Scope

A surgical airway is an advanced intervention reserved for credentialed providers operating within their scope of practice, training, and local protocol. This hook is a surgical instrument offered as equipment for qualified providers — it is not a substitute for formal surgical-airway training, and no procedural technique is provided here.

Hold the Airway Open.

Genuine North American Rescue, shipped from a clinician-founded, veteran-led team.

When to Deploy Tracheal Hook

• Surgical cricothyrotomy exposure: Retract and stabilize the trachea during an open cric procedure, providing tactile control of the cricothyroid membrane for scalpel entry and tube placement.
• BAC-Pack procedure: The tracheal hook is a core component of the Bougie-Aided Cricothyroidotomy Pack; it holds the incision open while the bougie is passed and the tube advanced.
• Forward surgical airway management: When all other airway adjuncts fail and a definitive surgical airway is required at point of care, the hook provides the mechanical advantage to control a small tracheal incision under field conditions.
• TCCC airway skills training: Used in cadaver, airway manikin, and procedural simulation to teach proper tracheal retraction technique before real-world application.
• Special Operations medical kit: A standard component in SOF medic kits and advanced airway sets where surgical airway capability must be immediately available.

How Tracheal Hook Compares

• Tracheal Hook vs finger retraction: Finger retraction of the trachea during open cric provides no mechanical advantage and risks loss of position during tube passage. A tracheal hook locks the trachea in place, freeing the other hand for instrumentation. See BAC-Pack.

• Tracheal Hook vs Tracheostomy Kit: The tracheostomy kit is a complete surgical airway system for controlled settings; the tracheal hook is a single instrument within that system. Both require surgical airway proficiency. Browse Airway Management.

• Standalone hook vs hook included in a kit: The standalone tracheal hook allows restocking a specific instrument without replacing an entire kit — cost-effective for high-volume training programs or unit resupply.

• NAR Tracheal Hook vs improvised retraction: Improvised tracheal retraction with a curved hemostat or similar instrument increases procedural time and tube-misplacement risk. The purpose-built hook geometry is optimized for single-step retraction and hands-free hold during tube passage.

Frequently Asked Questions — Tracheal Hook

Q: Is the Tracheal Hook part of a CoTCCC-recommended surgical airway protocol?

A: Surgical cricothyrotomy is the CoTCCC-recommended definitive airway for a failed airway. The tracheal hook is a standard instrument within that procedure. The NAR tracheal hook is included in CoTCCC-aligned surgical airway kits such as the BAC-Pack and Tactical Cric Kit.

Q: What training is required to use a tracheal hook?

A: Tracheal hook use requires proficiency in surgical cricothyrotomy technique, typically taught in Special Operations Combat Medic (SOCM), 18D, or advanced TCCC/TECC courses that include cadaver or simulation airway labs. Do not attempt without formal surgical airway training.

Q: Is the Tracheal Hook compatible with the BAC-Pack bougie technique?

A: Yes. The NAR Tracheal Hook is specifically designed for use in the NAR Bougie-Aided Cricothyroidotomy (BAC-Pack) procedure. The hook stabilizes the trachea while the bougie is introduced and the tube is railroaded over it.

Q: What is the NSN for the Tracheal Hook?

A: The NAR Tracheal Hook is a North American Rescue surgical airway instrument. Contact MED-TAC International for current NSN, CAGE code, and DLA/GSA procurement information for government orders.

Q: Is the Tracheal Hook sterile and single-use?

A: Yes. The NAR Tracheal Hook is supplied sterile and is intended for single patient use only. Do not resterilize, reprocess, or reuse. Inspect the sealed packaging for integrity before use.