10 Airway Management

Question 1

agonal gasps

Answer 1

occasional gasping breaths that occur after heart has stopped

Question 2

alveolar minute volume

Answer 2

volume of air moved through the lungs in 1 minute minus the dead space

i.e. (tidal volume - dead space) x respiratory rate

Question 3

apnea

Answer 3

absence of spontaneous breathing

Question 4

aspiration

Answer 4

introduction of vomitus or other foreign material into the lungs

Question 5

ataxic respirations

Answer 5

irregular, ineffective respirations that may or may not have identifiable pattern

Question 6

bag-valve mask (BVM)

Answer 6

device with one way valve and face mask attached to ventilation bag. When attached to oxygen, supplies more than 90% supplemental oxygen

Question 7

carina

Answer 7

point where trachea bifurcates into left and right bronchi

Question 8

CPAP

Answer 8

continuous positive airway pressure; used for critical patients in respiratory distress, which can prevent the need for endotracheal intubation

Question 9

dead space

Answer 9

portion of tidal volume that does not reach the alveoli and does not participate in gas exchange

Question 10

dyspnea

Answer 10

shortness of breath

Question 11

end-tidal C02

Answer 11

amount of CO2 present at end of exhaled breath

Question 12

exhalation

Answer 12

passive process, where diaphragm and intercostal muscles relax, forcing air out of the lungs

Question 13

gastric distention

Answer 13

air fills the stomach usually from high volume and pressure during artificial ventilation

Question 14

glottis

Answer 14

space between vocal cords that is the narrowest portion of the adult’s airway

Question 15

head tilt-chin lift maneuver

Answer 15

opening the airway by tilting the forehead back and lifting the chin; NOT FOR TRAUMA PATIENTS

Question 16

hypercarbia

Answer 16

increased carbon dioxide level in bloodstream

Question 17

hypoxia

Answer 17

body tissues and cells do not have enough oxygen

Question 18

hypoxic drive

Answer 18

chronic low levels of oxygen in the blood stimulate the respiratory drive

Question 19

inhalation

Answer 19

active process, draws air into airway and lungs

Question 20

external respiration vs internal respiration

Answer 20

external: exchange of gasses between lungs and blood cells in pulmonary capillaries aka pulmonary respiration
internal: exchange between blood cells and tissues

Question 21

intrapulmonary shunting

Answer 21

bypassing of oxygen-poor blood past nonfunctional alveoli to the left side of the heart

Question 22

jaw thrust maneuver

Answer 22

open airway by placing fingers behind the angle of jaw and bringing the jaw forward; used for patients with possible C-spine injury

Question 23

minute volume aka minute ventilation

Answer 23

volume of air moved through the lung in 1 minute

minute volume = tidal volume x respiratory rate

Question 24

passive ventilation

Answer 24

moving air in and out of lungs during chest compression

Question 25

patent

Answer 25

open, clear of obstruction

Question 26

phrenic nerve

Answer 26

innervates the diaphragm, necessary for breathing

Question 27

pneumothorax

Answer 27

partial or complete accumulation of air in the pleural space

Question 28

poor air exchange

Answer 28

usually from mild airway obstruction with symptoms such as weakness, ineffective cough, increased difficulty breathing, and possible cyanosis

Question 29

residual volume

Answer 29

air that remains in the lungs after maximal expiration

Question 30

respiration

Answer 30

process of exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide

Question 31

severe airway obstruction

Answer 31

occurs when a foreign body completely obstructs patient’s airway leading to inability to breathe, cough, or talk

Question 32

surfactant

Answer 32

liquid protein substance that coats the alveoli in the lungs, decreases alveolar surface tension, and keeps the alveoli expanded

Question 33

tension pneumothorax

Answer 33

collection of air within pleural space; the volume and pressure have both collapsed the involved lung and caused a shift of the mediastinal structures to the opposite side

Question 34

visceral pleura

Answer 34

thin membrane that covers the lungs

Question 35

vital capacity

Answer 35

amount of air that can be forcibly expelled from the lungs after breathing in deeply as possible