190617_Airway Flashcards
Upper Airway
Nasal Passages
Oral Cavity
The Pharynx
Nasal Passages (parts)
Septum
Turbinates
Adenoids
Nasal Passages (function)
Accounts for 2/3 of total upper airway resistance
Humidify
Filter
Warm
Nasal Passages (innervation)
Branches of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)
Oral Cavity (parts)
Teeth Tongue *Predominate cause of airway resistance in oral cavity Hard palate Soft palate
Oral Cavity (innervation)
Trigeminal Nerve (CN V) • Hard and Soft palate • Anterior 2/3 tongue Glossopharyngeal (CN IX) • Posterior 1/3 tongue • Soft palate • Oropharynx
The Pharynx (parts)
Nasopharynx • Border is the soft palate Oropharynx • Border is the epiglottis (supraglottic) • Tonsils, Uvula Hypopharynx/ Laryngopharynx • Subglottic
The Pharynx (innervation)
Glossopharyngeal (CN IX)
Vagus (CN X)
Larynx (cartilage)
9 Cartilages = 3 Paired (6 total) • Arytenoid (2) • Corniculate (2) • Cuneiform (2) 3 Unpaired • Thyroid • Cricoid • Epiglottis
*Located at C4-C6 in the adult
Larynx (function)
Airway protection
Respiration
Phonation
Unpaired Cartilages
Thyroid Cartilage
• Large and most prominent
• Anterior attachment for vocal cords
Epiglottis
• Covers opening to the larynx during swallowing
Cricoid Cartilage
• Only complete cartilaginous, signet-shaped, ring
• Narrowest portion of the pediatric airway
Paired Cartilages
Arytenoid
• Posterior attachment for Vocal Cords
• Falsely identified in an anterior airway
Corniculate
• Posterior portion of the aryepiglottic fold
Cuneiform
• In the aryepiglottic fold, not always present
• Lateral to corniculates
Larynx (other parts)
Vocal Cords
• Appear pearly white
• Formed by the thyroarytenoid ligaments
• Attached anteriorly to the thyroid cartilage and posteriorly to the arytenoid cartilages
Glottic Opening
• Triangular fissure between the cords
• Narrowest portion of the adult airway
Glottic Opening (Intrinsic Laryngeal Muscles)
Lateral Cricoarytenoid • Adducts the vocal cords Arytenoid Muscles • Oblique arytenoids and transverse arytenoids • Adduct the vocal cords Posterior Cricoarytenoid • The only vocal cord abductors
Vocal Cord Length (Intrinsic Laryngeal Muscles)
Cricothyroid • Tenses/Elongates vocal cords Thyroarytenoid • Relaxes/shortens vocal cords Vocalis • Relaxes/shortens vocal cords
Intrinsic Laryngeal Muscles
Control the movements of the laryngeal cartilages
• Control the length and tension of the vocal cords and the size of the glottic opening
Cricothyroid muscle
*innervated by the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (a branch of the Vagus nerve (CN X))
All others innervated by the recurrent laryngeal nerve (a branch of the Vagus nerve (CN X))
Extrinsic Laryngeal Muscles
Move larynx as a whole
Suprahyoid Group
• Stylohyoid, mylohyoid, geniohyoid, digastric
• Raises larynx cephalad
Infrahyoid Group
• Sternothyroid, sternohyoid, thyrohyoid, omohyoid
• Moves larynx caudad
***innervated by what nerve?