Airway Flashcards
What is involved in an airway assessment?
Look - listen - feel
ect FINISH THIS LATER
Three main parts of airway anatomy?
- Nasopharynx (Nasal cavity, hard palate, soft palate)
- Oropharynx (tonsil, tongue)
- Laryngopharynx (Epiglottis, vocal cords, eophagus, trachea)
What is an airway obstruction and list the types?
= blockage of the airway preventing air getting into the lungs
Types
- upper airway
- lower
- partial
- complete
- chronic
- acute
What are the causes of airway obstructions?
- foreign body
- infections (Epiglottis, abscess, diphtheria)
Others
- immune angiosperms
- anaphylaxis
- tumour
- traum a
- posion
- drug induced
Signs and symptoms of a life threatening airway?
S & S
- Dyspnoea, laboured respirations
- decrease or no air movement
- Unconscious
- Cyanosis
- foreign body in airway
- trauma to face or neck
What do you do when there is a life threatening airway?
ESTABLISH AN AIRWAY = correct head position
- head tilt/ chin lift or jaw thrust
- remove foreign objects
- Suction
- Insert an Airway
- Endotracheal intubation
- Needle or Surgical airway
Indications for airway management
Indications for airway management:
- Apnea
- Obstruction
- GCS drop (8 INTUBATE)
- Unstable mid-face trauma
- airway injury
- respiratory failure
- high aspiration risk
- inability to maintain airway
List a few airway management devices:
- Oropharyngeal
- nasopharyngeal
- LMA insertion
- Endotracheal intubation
- tracheostomy
What is the aim of an Oropharyngeal?
= designed to overcome soft palate obstruction
- maintains airway by stopping tongue from covering epiglottis
When do you not use a nasopharyngeal
Do not use in facial traumas
What is a LMA used for?
- short term device
- dose not protect airway against sources of aspiration
- not in an intensive care environment
- can cause coughing, straining and laryngeal spasm
Indications for endotracheal intubation?
Indications
- airway protection
- upper airway obstruction
- GCS 8 INTUBATE
- facilitate mechanical ventilation
- to enable tracheal suctioning and removal
Role of the nurse during intubation:
- familiar with procedure and equipment
- preparing drugs and equipment
- patient monitoring after
securing the intubation
How do you check the position of the ETT?
- visualisation of cords by operator
- Auscultatory assessment
- ETCO2 monitoring
- Chest X Ray
Complications of ETT?
- Aspiration
- Failed intubation
- Right main bronchus intubation (gone too far with the tube, pull back)
