Chapter 9: Airway Management

Question 1

Which of the following is a sign of an inadequate airway?
Movement of air around the mouth and nose
Regular chest movements
Equal expansion of both sides of the chest on inhalation
Nasal flaring

Answer 1

Nasal flaring

Question 2

Your patient is breathing 4 shallow breaths per minute due to overdosing on his pain medication but he has a palpable radial pulse. He vomited prior to your arrival and is choking. You should:
perform chest thrusts to clear the lungs.
move the patient to the ambulance and suction.
roll him onto his side to clear the airway.
insert an oropharyngeal airway and ventilate.

Answer 2

roll him onto his side to clear his airway

Question 3

What is the sound of the soft tissue of the upper airway creating impedance or partial obstruction to the flow of air?
  Gurgling 
  Hoarseness 
  Stridor 
  Snoring

Answer 3

snoring

Question 4

Perhaps the simplest way to determine if a patient has a patent airway is to:
  auscultate for breath sounds. 
  check for appropriate chest rise. 
  determine the respiratory rate. 
  say "hello."

Answer 4

say hello

Question 5

All of the following can result in airway obstructions except:
  the tongue. 
  facial trauma. 
  burns. 
  infections.

Answer 5

the tongue

Question 6

What is the danger that an altered mental status can pose to a patient’s breathing?
Loss of muscle tone and airway collapse
Bronchospasms
Hyperoxia
Depressed alveolar function

Answer 6

Loss of muscle tone and airway collapse

Question 7

Which of the following structures is found in the lower airway?
  Uvula 
  Pharynx 
  Bronchi 
  Tonsils

Question 8

You are ventilating an 85-year-old male without difficulty. A nurse tells you that the patient has dentures. To ensure a good mask seal, you should:
  tape the dentures in place. 
  use an infant mask over the nose. 
  leave the dentures in place. 
  remove the dentures.

Answer 8

leave the dentures in place

Question 9

You have performed a head tilt-chin lift maneuver on a 17-month-old boy and are attempting to ventilate him with a bag-valve mask. You are experiencing a lot of resistance with each breath and the chest is barely rising. Prior to attempting ventilations again, you should:
  finger sweep the airway. 
  perform chest thrusts. 
  ease the head forward a little. 
  tilt the head back further.

Answer 9

ease the head forward a little

Question 10

Which of the following should be kept in mind when assessing and managing the airway of a pediatric patient?
Gastric distention is unlikely.
The trachea is easily obstructed by swelling.
Due to their short necks, pediatric patients require a greater degree of hyperextension to open the airway than do adults.
The tongue is not as likely to obstruct the airway as in an adult.

Answer 10

the trachea is easily obstructed by swelling

Question 11

The trachea branches at the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ and forms two mainstem bronchi.
  bronchioles 
  alveoli 
  carina 
  glottic opening

Answer 11

carina

Question 12

Which of the following is true concerning the procedure for inserting a nasopharyngeal airway (NPA)?
The length of the device is not as important as it is with oropharyngeal airways.
It can only be placed in the right nostril.
The bevel should be turned toward the nasal septum or the base of the nostril.
If a water-soluble lubricant is not available, a silicon spray can be substituted.

Answer 12

the bevel should be turned forward toward the nasal septum or the base of the nostril

Question 13

When inserting an oropharyngeal airway, how many degrees do you need to rotate the airway so the tip is pointing down into the patient's pharynx?
  180 
  90 
  270 
  45

Answer 13

180

Question 14

You are ventilating a cardiac arrest patient when he begins to vomit copious amounts of large pieces of undigested food. Which of the following would be most effective in clearing the airway?
Using large bore suction tubing without a tip or catheter attached
Irrigating the mouth with sterile water to dilute the material before suctioning
Using a rigid pharyngeal suction tip
Using a 14 French suction catheter

Answer 14

using large bore suction tubing without a tip or catheter attached

Question 15

To be effective, a suction unit must be able to generate air flow of at least \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ liters per minute and create a vacuum of no less than \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ mmHg.
  300; 330 
  30; 300 
  300; 30 
  30; 30

Answer 15

30;300

Question 16

On which of the following types of calls should you bring your portable suction unit to the patient's side upon arrival on the scene?
  Seizure 
  Cardiac arrest 
  Motor vehicle collision 
  All of the above

Answer 16

all of the above

Question 17

Which of the following is an advantage of using a nasopharyngeal airway (NPA)?
It may be tolerated by many patients with a gag reflex.
It eliminates the need for manual positioning of the patient’s head to keep the airway open.
It is ideal for patients with a suspected skull fracture.
All of the above

Answer 17

it may be tolerated by many patients with a gag reflex

Question 18

Which of the following is a disadvantage of oropharyngeal airways (OPAs)?
They require the use of a water-soluble lubricant.
They do not come in pediatric sizes.
They cannot be used in a patient with a gag reflex. `
They cannot be used in patients with a suspected skull fracture.

Answer 18

they cannot be used in a patient with a gag reflex

Question 19

The jaw-thrust maneuver is the only \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ airway procedure for an unconscious patient with possible head, neck, or spine injury or an unknown mechanism of injury.
  discouraged 
  prohibited 
  required 
  recommended

Answer 19

`recommended

Question 20

The high-pitched sound caused by an upper airway obstruction is known as:
  stridor. 
  snoring
  hoarseness. 
  gurgling.

Answer 20

stridor