Stridor Flashcards
1
Q
Description: What is stridor?
A
- A clinical SIGN of airway obstruction
2
Q
Aetiology/ Risk factors: What causes stridor?
A
Causes:
- Foreign body
- Infection
- Tumour
3
Q
Symptoms: What symptom is associated with stridor?
A
- Difficulty breathing
4
Q
Sign: What sign is associated with stridor?
A
- Noisy breathing (inspiratory, expiratory, biphasic)
5
Q
Treatment: How do we manage a patient with stridor?
A
- Secure the airway (tracheal intubation/ tracheostomy)
- Oxygen (via face mask)
- Nebulised adrenaline
- IV dexamethasone
- Inhaled heliox
6
Q
Extra: What is tracheostomy? (not in the lecture)
A
A tracheostomy is a medical procedure that involves creating an opening in the neck in order to place a tube into a person’s windpipe.
7
Q
Extra: What are the indications for tracheostomy?
A
Indications for tracheostomy:
- Airway obstruction
- Airway protection
- Poor ventilation due to reduced dead space
8
Q
Extra: How does heliox help patients with stridor breathe? (not in the lecture)
A
- Heliox is a breathing gas composed of a mixture of helium and oxygen. This mixture generates less airway resistance than atmospheric air therefore requires less effort for a patient to breathe
