Initial Airway Assessment Flashcards
What should be the initial focus of airway patency and respiratory function assessment?
1) whether the airway is open and protected.
2) whether breathing is present and adequate
What are the objective signs of airway compromise?
Agitation- may indicate hypoxia
Obtundation - May indicate hypercarbia
Cyanosis- may indicate hypoxemia
What are signs of impending respiratory compromise?
Bradypnea or tachypnea
What are the clinical manifestations of respiratory accessory muscles recruitment?
Suprasternal, supraclavicular, and or intercostal retractions
How does traumatic injury to the chest wall alter symmetrical chest movement during respiration?
It may result in paradoxical or discordant chest wall movement.
Inspiratory strider indicates?
It is a high pitched sound that occurs during inspiration which indicates partial airway obstruction at the level of the larynx.
What does an expiratory strider indicate?
It is a high pitch sound during expiration suggesting partial obstruction of the airway at the level of trachea.
Snoring during breathing indicates ?
Partial airway obstruction at the level of the pharynx.
Hoarseness suggest?
A laryngeal process or inflammation of the larynx.
Why is aphonia worriesome finding in a conscious patient ?
It is an extremely worrisome sign of impending respiratory collapse
What should we look for when inspecting the anterior neck during airway assessment in an ED patient?
Penetrating wounds, asymmetry, edema, subcutaneous air during neck and face examination as it suggests direct airway injury.
What is the cardinal sign of protected and patent airway mechanism?
The patients ability to spontaneously swallow and handle secretions.
What is the cardinal sign of lose of protective airway reflexes in an unconscious patient?
Lose of gag reflex
Diminished breath sounds during auscultation in an ED patient may suggest?
Pneumothorax, hemothorax or pleural effusion
The most common cause of upper airway obstruction in an unconscious patient?
The posterior displacement of tongue and epiglottis at the level of pharynx and larynx due to the loss of submandibular muscle tone
