Cricoid pressure, also known as the Sellick manoeuvre or Sellick maneuver, is a technique used in endotracheal intubation to try to reduce the risk of regurgitation. The technique involves the application of pressure to the cricoid cartilage at the neck, thus occluding the esophagus which passes directly behind it.[1]
Cricoid pressure should not be confused with the "BURP" (Backwards Upwards Rightwards Pressure) manoeuvre, which is used to improve the view of the glottis during laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation, rather than to prevent regurgitation.[2] As the name implies, the BURP manoeuvre requires a clinician to apply pressure on the thyroid cartilage posteriorly, then cephalad (upwards) and, finally, laterally towards the patient's right.[3]