 Named for British anesthetist Brian Arthur Sellick ( 1918 – 1996 ) who first described the procedure in 1961 , the goal of cricoid pressure is to minimize the possibility of regurgitation and pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents . Cricoid pressure has been widely used during RSI for nearly fifty years , despite a lack of compelling evidence to support this practice . The initial article by Sellick was based on a small sample size at a time when high tidal volumes , head @-@ down positioning and barbiturate anesthesia were the rule . Beginning around 2000 , a significant body of evidence has accumulated which questions the effectiveness of cricoid pressure . The application of cricoid pressure may in fact displace the esophagus laterally instead of compressing it as described by Sellick . Cricoid pressure may also compress the glottis , which can obstruct the view of the laryngoscopist and actually cause a delay in securing the airway . 
