Airway Flashcards
Which of the following statements regarding normal gas exchange in the lungs is correct?
Oxygen and carbon dioxide diffuse across the alveolar walls and capillaries
Which of the following structures ins NOT found in the upper airway?
Bronchus
The leaf-shaped structure located superior to the larynx is called the:
Epiglottis
The ____ cartilage is a firm ring that forms the inferior part of the larynx
Cricoid
Structures of the lower airway include the following, except:
Epiglottis
The actual exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide occurs in the:
alveolar sacs
Which of the following structures is contained within the mediastinum?
Esophagus
The physical act of moving air into and out of the lungs is called:
Ventilation
Inhalation occurs when the:
Diaphragm and intercostal muscles contract and cause a decrease in intrathoracic pressure
The diaphragm functions as an involuntary muscle when a person
sleeps
The partial pressure of oxygen in the alveoli is ____mm Hg, while the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the alveoli is ______ mm Hg.
104, 40
Tidal volume is defined as the volume of air that:
moves into or out of the lungs in a single breath
What is the minute volume of a patient with a tidal volume of 500 mL, a dead space volume of 150 mL, and a respiratory rate of 16 breaths per minute?
5,600 mL
Which of the following factors will cause a decreased minute volume in an adult?
Shallow breathing
In contrast to inhalation, exhalation:
is a passive process caused by increased intrathoracic pressure.
Hypoxia is MOST accurately defined as:
inadequate oxygen to the tissues and cells
The hypoxic drive is influenced by:
low blood oxygen levels
Which of the following is a late sign of hypoxia?
cyanosis
Which of the following statements regarding oxygenation and ventilation is correct?
In mines or confined places, where oxygen levels are low, ventilation may continue despite adequate oxygenation
Each cell of the body combines nutrients and oxygen and produces energy and waste products through a process called:
metabolism
The process of exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide between the alveoli and the blood of the capillaries is called:
external respiration
Gas exchange in the lungs is facilitated by:
adequate amounts of surfactant
In the presence of oxygen, the mitochondria of the cells convert glucose into energy through a process called
aerobic metabolism
Without adequate oxygen, the body’s cells:
incompletely convert glucose into energy and lactic acid accumulates in the blood
The primary waste product of aerobic metabolism is:
Carbon dioxide
Central chemoreceptors located in the medulla provide feedback to increase the rate and depth of breathing when they sense:
slight elevations in carbon dioxide or a decrease in the pH of the CSF
A ventilation/perfusion mismatch occurs when:
a disruption in blood flow inhibits the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs, even though the alveoli are filled with fresh oxygen
If ventilation is impaired, carbon dioxide levels in the bloodstream will increase. This condition is called:
Hypercarbia
Intrapulmonary shunting occurs when:
Blood coming from the right side of the heart bypasses nonfunctional alveoli and returns to the left side of the heart in an unoxygenated state.
An adult at rest should have a respiratory rate that ranges between:
12 and 20 breaths/min
Which of the following patients is breathing adequately?
a conscious male with respirations of 19 breaths/min and pink skin
Which of the following statements regarding breathing adequacy is correct?
Patients breathing shallowly may require assisted ventilation despite normal respiratory rate
Which of the following would NOT cause a decrease in tidal volume?
deep respirations
Irregular respirations characterized by an increasing rate and depth of breathing followed by periods of apnea are called:
Cheyne-Stokes respirations
An unconscious patient found in a prone position must be placed in a supine position in case he or she:
requires cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
You are dispatched to a residence where a middle-aged man was found unconscious in his front yard. There are no witnesses who can tell you what happened. You find him in a prone position; his eyes are closed and he is not moving. Your first action should be to:
log roll him as a unit into a supine position
What is the MOST common cause of airway obstruction in an unconscious patient?
the tongue
IN which of the following patients would the head tilt chin lift be the MOST appropriate method of opening the airway
37 female who is found unconscious in her bed
The jaw-thrust is used to open airway of patients with suspected:
C Spine injuries
Which of the following patients would MOST likely require insertions of OPA
a 20 year old unconscious patient with slow, shallow respirations
A 19 year old female is found unconscious by her roommate. Your primary assessment reveals that her breathing is inadequate. As you insert an OPA, she begins to gag violently. You should;
Remove the airway and be prepared to suction
To select the proper size OPA, you should measure from the:
corner of mouth to earlobe
The NPA is MOST beneficial because is
Can maintain a patent airway in a semiconscious patient with a gag reflex
The MOST serious complication associated with using a nasopharyngeal airway in a patient with trauma to the head of face is:
penetrating the cranium
A NPA is inserted
with the bevel facing the septum if inserted into the right nare
A 71 year old male is semiconscious following a sudden, sever headache. There is vomitus on his face and his respirations are slow and shallow. The EMT must immediately:
Perform OP suctioning
When testing a mechanical suctioning unit, you should turn on the device, clamp the tubing and ensure that it generates a vacuum pressure of more than:
300 mm Hg
The MOST significant complication associated with OP suctioning is
Hypoxia due to prolonged suction attempts
Proper technique for suctioning the OP of an adult patient includes:
Suctioning while withdrawing the catheter from the OP
You have inserted an oral airway and are ventilating an apnea woman with a bag-mask device. She suddenly begins regurgitating large amounts of vomit. You should:
roll her onto her side and remove the oral airway
A 23 year old male experienced sever head trauma after his motorcycle collided with an oncoming truck. He is unconscious, has rapid and shallow breathing, and has copious bloody secretions in his mouth. How should you manage his airway?
Alternate 15 seconds of suctioning with 2 minutes of assisted ventilation
Which of the following patients should you place in recovery position?
A 31 year old semiconscious male with low blood sugar and adequate breathing
Which of the following organs or tissues can survive the longest without oxygen?
muscle
The purpose of the pin indexing system that has been established for compressed gas cylinders is to
ensure that the correct regulator is used for the cylinder
The pressure of gas in a full cylinder of oxygen is approximately _____ pounds per square inch
2,000
Which of the following oxygen flowmeters is NOT affected by gravity and can be used in any position when attached to an oxygen cylinder?
Bourdon-gauge flowmeter
An oxygen cylinder should be taken out of service and refilled when the pressure inside it is less than:
500 psi
Which of the following statements regarding oxygen is correct?
Oxygen supports the combustion process and may cause a fire
A patient who is suspected of being hypoxic and is breathing adequately should be given supplemental oxygen with a:
nonrebreathing mask
With a good mask to face seal and an oxygen flow rate of 15 ppm, the nonrebreathing mask is capable of delivering up to
90% inspired oxygen
Prior to applying a nonrebreathing mask on a patient, you must ensure that the:
reservoir bag is fully inflated
At a flow rate of 6 Lpm, a nasal cannula can deliver an approximate oxygen concentration of up to:
44%
The nasal cannula is MOST appropriately used in the prehospital setting:
when the patient cannot tolerate a nonrebreathing mask
The main advantage of the Venturi mask is:
The use of its fine adjustment capabilities in the long term management of physiologically stable patients
A 51 year old female presents with a sudden onset of difficulty breathing.She is conscious and alert and able to speak in complete sentences. Her respirations are 22 breaths per minute and regular. You should:
administer 100% oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask
What occurs when a patient is breathing very rapidly and shallowly?
Air moves primarily in the anatomic dead space and does not participate in pulmonary gas exchange
As the single EMT managing an apneic patient’s airway, the preferred initial method of providing ventilations is the:
mouth to mask technique with a one-way valve
You and your partner are treating a 66 year old man who experienced a sudden onset of respiratory distress. He is conscious but is unable to follow simple verbal commands. Further assessment reveals that his breathing is severely labored and his oxygen saturation is 80%. You should:
Assist his ventilations with a bag-mask device
Which of the following statements regarding positive-pressure ventilation is correct?
With positive pressure ventilation, more volume is required to have the same effects as normal breathing
How does positive pressure ventilation affect cardiac output?
It increases intrathoracic pressure, which decreases venous return to the heart and causes a decrease in cardiac output
You are ventilation a 40 year old uninjured man who is apnea but has a pulse. When your partner reassesses his blood pressure, he notes that it has decreased significantly from previous readings. You elevate the patient’s legs, but it has no effect. You should:
reevaluate the rate and volume of you ventilations
You are performing mouth to mask ventilations with oxygen connected and set at a flow rate of 15 lpm. What percentage of oxygen is your patient receiving?
55%
You and your partner are caring for a critically injured patient. Your partner is controlling sever bleeding from the patient’s lower extremities as you attempt ventilations with a bag-mask device. After repositioning the mask several times, you are unable to effectively ventilate the patient. You should:
Begin ventilations using the mouth to mask technique
Which of the following statements regarding the one person bag mask device technique is correct?
Adequate tidal volume is often difficult to achieve when one EMT is operating the bag mask device
Despite your attempts to coach a conscious young female’s respirations, she continues to hyperventilate with a marked reduction in tidal volume. You should:
explain to her that you will assist her ventilations
