Airway Management

Question 1

What is the primary function of the upper airway?

Answer 1

To warm, filter, and humidify air before it enters the lungs

Question 2

If you find a patient lying on their back and snoring, what is likely causing this? Is it a problem?

Answer 2

Their tongue is partially blocking their airway. Can develop into a major problem if the person loses muscle tone and their tongue blocks their airway completely.

Question 3

If you find a patient lying on their back or side and there is a gurgling sound coming from their mouth, what is causing this? What is your first intervention?

Answer 3

Accumulation of fluid in the airway. The first action of responders should be to roll the Pt 3/4 prone (if SMR not indicated) and suction/sweep the airway to clear it.

Question 4

If you approach a patient and hear audible stridor, what is the likely cause of this?

Answer 4

Constriction of the larynx or laryngeal edema.

Question 5

What are the 2 ways to quickly intervene if you suspect a patient of having an airway obstruction caused by their own relaxed tongue?

Answer 5

1. Head-tilt chin-lift
2. Jaw-thrust

Question 6

Give at least 3 examples of circumstances which can make it difficult to effectively ventilate a patient using a BVM.

Answer 6

Any 3 of:
- Beards
- Facial trauma
- Obesity
- No teeth/dentures (loss of jaw structure)
- Asthma
- COPD
- Pulmonary edema
- Airway obstruction

Question 7

What is an effective strategy to employ for someone who is hyperventilating? Describe.

Answer 7

Box breathing (or triangle breathing). Focusing on breathing in, holding your breath, and then breathing out at set rates can help slow breathing and lessen the symptoms of hyperventilation. (Also would accept the 5-4-3-2-1 method of focusing attention).