2: Airway obstruction Flashcards
What is the boundary between the upper and lower airways?
Vocal cords
What direction does the larynx move on swallowing?
Upwards THEN downwards
The larynx is made up of ___ and ___.
cartilages and membranes
What is the only complete ring in the airway?
Cricoid cartilage
doesn’t expand, determines diameter of airway
What do the vocal cords do in
a) phonation
b) respiration?
a) Close
b) Open
Which muscles close the vocal cords?
Lateral crico-arytenoids
Arytenoids
Which muscles open the vocal cords?
Posterior arytenoid muscles
Neonates are obligate nasal breathers.
Why?
Larynx is raised too high (C1)
Subglottis is narrow
Air flow resistance is heavily dependant on ___ of the airway.
radius
Air flow resistance is directly proportional to what?
1 / (radius)4
So a 1 cm decrease in radius has a massive effect on air flow resistance
What is the difference between stridor and stertor?
Stridor - high pitched noise due to turbulent airflow
Stertor - low pitched sound for nasopharynx (snoring)
If you suspect a child has acute epiglottitis, what shouldn’t you do?
Examine the throat
You will exacerbate inflammation and cause respiratory obstruction > arrest
What can become lodged in the airway causing obstruction?
Foreign bodies
What is an insidious cause of dyspnoea and airway obstruction?
Malignancy
What is the commonest type of malignancy in children?
Lymphoma
