FONA is the broad term to describe any surgical airway. This includes the emergent cricothyroidotomy and the “scalpel, finger, bougie” technique that is used in the emergency can’t intubate & can’t oxygenate situation (cico). In this situation it is sometimes called eFONA to distinguish it from other less emergent surgical neck assess procedures such as an elective tracheostomy.  

Emergency “Front of Neck Access” (eFONA) is the placement of a definitive airway via the neck, through the cricothyroid membrane (ctm) to facilitate emergency alveolar oxygenation. It is the final step in airway management of all failed airway algorithms to reverse critical hypoxia, prevent brain injury, cardiac arrest, and death.