Airway Obstruction Flashcards
What is stridor?
High-pitched, harsh wheezing sound caused by turbulent airflow
What is stertor?
Low-pitched sound characterized by heavy snoring or gasping from the nasopharyngeal airway
Which throat cancer is related to HPV?
Respiratory paillomatosis
Which strains of HPV are related to recurrent respiratory papillomatosis?
6, 11, 16 and 18
Why is a nasal blockage more dangerous in an infant versus an adult?
Infants can only breath through their nose due to the higher position of the larynx (C1)
In wbich situation may an infant be affected bu subglottic stenosis?
When they have had a breathing tube in too long (due to being pre-term)
What generally induced subglottic stenosis in adults?
- GPA
- Reflux
Why should a severe burns patient be intubated immediately?
Swelling may close the airway
How does respiratory distress in infants progress?
- Respiratory distress
- Respiratory failure
- Respiratory arrest, Cardiac failure, Neurological failure
What is heliox and why may it be used in a patient struggling to breath?
Helium and oxygen
Helium makesgas mixture easier to breath
neonates are obligate…
nasal breathers
also have a relatively large tongue
what are some causes of airway obstruction?
- Inflammatory/Infective causes /Allergy
- Foreign bodies
- Physical compression/invasion of airway
- Trauma/Iatrogenic Trauma
- Neurological causes
- Neoplastic causes
- Burn
- Congenital airway pathology
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what is the assessment in airway obstruction?
appearance, work of breathing and skin circulation
What should try to be avoided at all costs?
Tracheostomy
