Chapter 9 | Airway Management Flashcards
• Physiology of the airway • Pathophysiology of the airway • How to recognize an adequate or an inadequate airway • How to open an airway • How to use airway adjuncts • Principles and techniques of suctioning
Define:
airway
passageway by which air enters and leaves the body
Define:
patent airway
(PAY-tent)
an airway that is (and will continue to be) open and clear
Define:
glottic opening
level of the vocal cords that defines the boundary between the upper and lower airways
Fill in the blank:
For children, the mouth and nose are [BLANK] and [BLANK] than in adults.
the mouth and nose are smaller and more easily obstructed than in adults.
Fill in the blank:
For children, the tongue takes up [MORE/LESS] space proportionately in the mouth than in adults.
the tongue takes up more space proportionately in the mouth than in adults.
Fill in the blank:
For newborns and infants, nasal obstruction can impair breathing because [BLANK].
nasal obstruction can impair breathing because they typically breathe through their noses.
Fill in the blank:
When treating a choking child, remember that the trachea is [BLANK] and [BLANK] than adults.
remember that the trachea is softer and more flexible in infants and children.
Fill in the blank:
Because the trachea is narrower in children, it is also [BLANK].
it is also more easily obstructed by swelling or foreign objects.
Fill in the blank:
When performing CPR on children, remember that the chest wall is [BLANK] than adults.
remember that the chest wall is softer than adults.
Fill in the blank:
Infants and children tend to depend more on [BLANK] for breathing than adults.
Infants and children tend to depend more on their diaphragms for breathing than adults.
Define:
bronchoconstriction
contraction of smooth muscle that lines the bronchial passages
Explain:
complication of bronchoconstriction
decreased internal diameter of the airway resulting in increased resistance to airflow
List:
signs of partially obstructed airway
3 points
- inability to speak
- unusally raspy voice (hoarseness)
- unusual breathing sounds (stridor/snoring/gurgling)
Describe:
significance of stridor
(partially obstructed airway)
severely restricted air movement in the upper airway
(i.e. a child who swallowed a toy)
Describe:
significance of hoarseness
(partially obstructed airway)
restricted air movement in the upper airway
Define:
stridor
(partially obstructed airway)
variable and high-pitched respiratory sound
caused by blockage in windpipe (trachea)
Describe:
head-elevated and sniffing position
(maintaining an open airway)
preferred open-airway position for intubating patients
like sniffing flowers
List:
manual airway maneuvers
2 points (providing an airway)
- “head-tilt and chin-lift” maneuver
- “jaw-thrust” maneuver
Explain:
head-tilt and chin lift maneuver
(providing an airway)
- move body as a unit while keeping patient’s head, neck, and spine aligned
- kneel at top of patient’s head
- place one hand on forehead and fingertips of other hand under bony area at center of patient’s lower jaw
- tilt head by applying gentle pressure to patient’s forehead
- use fingers to lift chin and support lower jaw while moving jaw forward (lower teeth almost touching uper teeth)
- do not allow patient’s mouth to close
make sure you know where to put hands and how to make maneuver
Explain:
jaw-thrust maneuver
(providing an airway)
- move body as a unit while keeping patient’s head, neck, and spine aligned
- kneel at top of patient’s head
- place one hand on each side of patient’s lower jaw (below ears)
- use index fingers to push angles of patient’s lower jaw forward
- (if necessary) retract patient’s lower lip with thumb to keep mouth open
- do not tilt/rotate patient’s head
make sure you know where to put hands and how to make maneuver
List:
components of upper airway
3 points
- oral/nasal openings
- pharynx
- glottic opening
List:
components of lower airway
4 points
- glottic opening
- trachea
- bronchus
- lungs
List:
sources of airway obstructions
3 points
- foreign bodies: food or small toys
- liquids: blood or vomit
- swelling: infection, burns, or allergic reaction
List:
questions of airway assessment
2 points
- is airway open?
- will airway stay open?