Airway Management Exam

2.     The Mallampati classification focuses on the visibility of oropharyngeal structures when the patient is examined in which of the following positions?

• Supine, mouth fully open, tongue protruded, with phonation

• Semirecumbent, mouth fully open, tongue protruded, without phonation

• Sitting, mouth opened, tongue in neutral position, without phonation

• Sitting, mouth fully opened, tongue protruded, without phonation

• Sitting, mouth fully opened, tongue protruded, with phonation

3. Risk factors for aspiration of gastric contents at the time of airway management include all of the following EXCEPT:

• Emergency surgery

• Higher ASA classification

• Small bowel obstruction

• Obesity

• Inexperienced anesthetist encountering airway problems

4. Cricoid pressure (Sellick’s maneuver) can be used in an attempt to

• Reduce gastric distention during bag-mask ventilation

• Reduce passive regurgitation of gastric contents

• Improve laryngoscopic view by applying backward, upward, and rightward pressure

• Occlude the esophagus against the C6 vertebra

• All of the above

5. Which of the following choices of endotracheal tube (ETT) size and position is most appropriate?

• 12-month-old—3.0 ETT taped at 7 cm at the mouth

• 2-year-old—4.5 ETT taped at 8 cm at the mouth

• 3-year-old—4.5 ETT taped at 13 cm at the mouth

• 6-year-old—6.5 ETT taped at 12 cm at the mouth

• 10-year-old—7.0 ETT taped at 15 cm at the mouth

6. Which of the following is NOT a suggested use for the laryngeal mask airway?

• Emergency ventilation when tracheal intubation has failed

• Assisting a tracheal intubation

• To protect against aspiration

• Providing an airway with minimal changes in blood pressure and heart rate

• To assist in fiberoptic bronchoscopy

7. The process of preoxygenation/denitrogenation greatly increases the time to desaturation during intubation. The reasons for failure to achieve an FiO 2 close to 100% include leak, rebreathing of gases, and using systems incapable of delivering highly enriched oxygen. The main causes of circuit leak include all of the following EXCEPT:

• Beards

• Edentulous patients

• Nasogastric tubes

• Incorrect facemask size

• None of the above

8. Shortly aft er the induction of general anesthesia and during mask ventilation, bile-stained fluid filling the facemask is observed. Your next course of action should be all of the following EXCEPT:

• Turn the patient’s head to the side.

• Call for help.

• Attempt to clear the pharynx of gastric fluid with a Yankauer suction.

• Check the patient’s vital signs.

• Place the patient into the reverse Trendelenburg position.

9. You are called to evaluate a patient in the medical intensive care unit with an ETT cuff leak. Your first course of action should be which of the following?

• Review the most recent x-ray and order another.

• Check the patient’s vital signs and evaluate for immediate reintubation.

• Suction the posterior oropharynx.

• Deflate the pilot balloon.

• Add additional air to the cuff .

10. Hypoxemia is defi ned as a partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (Pa o2 ) less than _______ mm Hg while breathing room air.

• 50

• 60

• 70

•  80

• 100

1.  Which of the following patient presentations presents with the LEAST risk of difficult intubation ?

• 67-year-old woman, 82 kg, thyromental distance 7 cm, mouth opening 3 cm, Mallampati II, prominent incisors

• 45-year-old man, 145 kg, thyromental distance 5 cm, mouth opening 6 cm, Mallampati III, short neck with limited extension

• 56-year-old man, 72 kg, thyromental distance 5 cm, mouth opening 5 cm, Mallampati III, poor dentition

• 52-year-old man, 45 kg, thyromental distance 5cm, mouth opening 5 cm, Mallampati II, history of neck radiation, limited submandibular compliance

• 34-year-old woman, 72 kg, thyromental distance 6 cm, mouth opening 5 cm, Mallampati II, high-arched palate, prominent incisors with two maxillary incisors missing