Final answer:
You must maintain cricoid pressure until the airway is secured, a procedure known as the Sellick maneuver, to prevent the aspiration of stomach contents during intubation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ideally, once you have applied cricoid pressure, you must:
Maintain pressure until the airway is secured. Cricoid pressure, also known as the Sellick maneuver, is a technique used in emergency medicine to prevent gastric contents from entering the upper airway during the process of intubation. It involves applying downward pressure on the cricoid cartilage with the aim of compressing the esophagus against the vertebral body. This pressure should not be released until the airway is secured, which means that either intubation has been successful or a protected airway has been established by other means. Releasing the pressure too early could risk aspiration of stomach contents into the lungs, a complication that this technique is specifically designed to avoid. In contrast, applying additional pressure on the trachea or gradually increasing pressure are not aligned with the proper execution of the Sellick maneuver. Also, periodic release is not advised because it could defeat the purpose of the maneuver.