Chapter 9 - Airway Management

Question 1

The first step of emergency care in the patient with inadequate breathing is:

Answer 1

opening and maintaining the patient’s airway.

Question 2

Signs of inadequate airway include:
Choices:
A. wheezing, crowing, or gurgling noises.
B. cyanosis of the lips, earlobes, or nail beds.
C. the patient being unable to speak in full sentences.
D. all of the above

Answer 2

all of the above

Question 3

During your assessment of a 54-year-old male patient, you find that he is not breathing; your next step should be to:

Answer 3

begin providing artificial ventilations to the patient.

Question 4

Your 24-year-old female patient has fallen from the roof of her house and is unconscious. The best method of opening her airway is the:

Answer 4

jaw-thrust maneuver.

Question 5

Oropharyngeal airways can be used on unconscious patients, except those who:

Answer 5

have a gag reflex.

Question 6

If you do not have the proper size oropharyngeal airway to fit your patient:

Answer 6

do not use one

Question 7

The nasopharyngeal airway is popular because it:

Answer 7

often does not stimulate a gag reflex.

Question 8

Which of the following is true when suctioning a patient’s airway?
Choices:
A. Never suction for longer than one minute.
B. Suction only as the catheter is going into the mouth.
C. BSI precautions are not necessary unless blood is seen.
D. Suction longer than 15 seconds if patient continues to vomit.

Answer 8

Suction longer than 15 seconds if patient continues to vomit.

Question 9

The most popular type of suction tip used in the pre-hospital setting is:

Answer 9

rigid pharyngeal tip (Yankauer).

Question 10

Nasopharyngeal airways must be lubricated to ease insertion; you should use:

Answer 10

any water-based lubricant.

Question 11

One method of determining which size oropharyngeal airway to use is by:

Answer 11

measuring from the comer of the patient’s mouth to the tip of the earlobe on the same side.

Question 12

Try to limit suctioning to no longer than:

Answer 12

10 seconds.

Question 13

Despite all other patient care delivered, no patient will survive without a(n) __________ __________.

Answer 13

open airway

Question 14

The EMT’ s chief responsibilities are finding and correcting immediately ___________ ___________ problems.

Answer 14

life-threatening

Question 15

Minimal or uneven chest movements, diminished breath sounds, and noisy breathing are
signs of ___________ ___________ .

Answer 15

inadequate breathing

Question 16

The two procedures commonly used for opening a patient’s airway are the ___________-___________, ___________-___________ maneuver if no trauma is suspected, and the ___________-___________ maneuver, if head, neck, or spine injury is suspected.

Answer 16

head-tilt, chin-lift; jaw-thrust

Question 17

The most common impediment to an open airway is the ___________ .

Answer 17

tongue

Question 18

Use an airway adjunct on all ___________ patients who do not exhibit a ___________ ___________ .

Answer 18

unconscious; gag reflex

Question 19

When measuring an oropharyngeal airway to determine the correct size to use in your patient,
measure from the ___________ of the patient’s ___________ to the ___________ of the patient’s ___________ on the same side of the face.

Answer 19

comer; mouth; tip; earlobe

Question 20

Lubricate the outside of a nasopharyngeal airway with a(n) ___________ based lubricant.

Answer 20

water

Question 21

The rule is try to limit suctioning to no longer than ___________ seconds, unless patient is still vomiting, and then the EMT must ___________ suctioning.

Answer 21

15; continue

Question 22

If an unconscious patient gags when the insertion of an oral airway is inserted, the EMT
should stop and attempt to insert an ___________ instead.

Answer 22

nasal airway

Question 23

T/F: The nose, mouth, pharynx, and trachea are all parts of the respiratory system.

Answer 23

True

Question 24

T/F: Abdominal breathing is a sign of inadequate airway in an adult.

Answer 24

True

Question 25

T/F: Head, neck, or spinal injury should be suspected in any unconscious trauma patient.

Answer 25

True

Question 26

T/F: The head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver should be used to open the airway of a patient with a suspected neck injury.

Answer 26

False

Question 27

T/F: When using the head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver to open a patient’s airway, place your fingertips on the bony part of the chin, not the soft tissues under the lower jaw.

Answer 27

True

Question 28

T/F: When opening an unconscious patient’s airway, you may need to insert your thumb into the patient’s mouth.

Answer 28

False

Question 29

T/F: When using the jaw-thrust maneuver to open a patient’s airway, stabilize the patient’s head with your knees.

Answer 29

False

Question 30

T/F: If the chest does not rise and fall during BVM ventilation, you should reposition the head to ensure an open airway.

Answer 30

True

Question 31

T/F: If your patient does not tolerate an oropharyngeal airway at your first attempt, reopen the airway and insert it more aggressively.

Answer 31

False

Question 32

T/F: To ease insertion of a nasopharyngeal airway, it should be lubricated with petroleum jelly.

Answer 32

False