Airway

What is the most common cause of airway obstruction?

• Foreign object

• Tongue

• Swelling

• Infection

What is the recommended method to open the airway if a patient isn't breathing and there is no suspicion of a C-Spine injury?

• Jaw-thrust method

• Head-tilt, Chin-lift method

• CPR

• Heimlich maneuver

In which situation should the jaw-thrust method be used alone to open the airway?

• When the patient is unconscious

• When a C-Spine injury is known, suspected, or possible

• When the patient is choking

• When the patient is breathing normally.

If a person is choking and becomes unconscious, what should you do?

• Continue the Heimlich Maneuver

• Call 911 and use a defibrillator

• Give them water

• Leave them alone

What should you do if you can see an object in a choking person's mouth?

• Ignore it

• Search for and remove the object

• Push it further down

• Call for help

What is a characteristic of stridor?

• Low-pitched sounds

• High-pitched inspiratory or expiratory sounds

• Silent breathing

• Rhythmic snoring

What does stridor indicate?

• Healthy airway

• Airway narrowing

• Normal breathing

• Lung infection

Answer explanation

 Inspiratory at the glottis
 Expiratory below the glottis

Which of the following is not a sound associated with airway trouble?

• A) Stridor

• B) Gurgling

• C) Voice changes

• D) Whispering

What is one of the primary benefits of using suction in airway management?

• Improves oxygen saturation by directly delivering oxygen into the lungs

• It rapidly clears secretions/blood, allows you to see, helps prevent aspiration

• Promotes faster healing of damaged airway tissue

• It is used anytime there is a mess.

Answer explanation

A must during intubation, any advanced airway intervention or any time there is a mess

For which type of patients is the nasopharyngeal airway recommended?

• Fully conscious patients

• Unconscious patients

• Semi-conscious patients with a gag reflex

• Patients with no gag reflex

Answer explanation

Fits past tongue into posterior pharynx

 Bevel to septum, flange flush with nare
 Usually 3 sizes – measure tip of nose to tragus of ear
 Beware! They may still vomit - keep an eye on them

Can combine with nasal cannula O2