Test 1 Highlights Flashcards
Nose
Large surface area = primary passage providing air to lungs.
- Provides warmth, filtering, & moisture
- 2/3 of airway resistance
What causes the soft palate to collapse?
- GA
- Sleep apnea
- Pregnancy
- Age
- Obesity= swelling of soft tissues
What happens to the gag reflex during GA?
The gag reflex is blunted
- happens when the patient loses consciousness/ lash reflex
What nerve branches into the recurrent laryngeal nerve ?
Where can this be found?
Vagus nerve
- Caution traction on this nerve can cause stretching:
Unilateral stretching = hoarseness
Bilateral stretching = stritor, cords floppy/addicted & can’t move
- Head and neck procedures are increased risk d/t R RLN being under the subclavian artery and the L RLN being under the aorta
What 3 cartilages make up the larynx (C3-C6)
Arytenoid, Corniculate, Cuneiform
4 Functions of the larynx
- Potency between hypopharynx and trachea
- Gag/cough reflex
- Protection from aspiration
- Phonation
Where does the tip of the blade go during intubation?
Mac Blade = vallecula, anterior portion of epiglottis
Miller = pulls up posterior aspect of epiglottis
- epiglottis = key structure in intubation
Where should the cuff be located ?
Below the level of the cords 1.5 - 2 cm
Or
Above the carina 4 cm
Average:
In women = 20 - 22 cm
In men = 22 - 24 cm
The carina is sensitive to stimuli, what does this mean for intubation?
Increase HR & BP is 1st sign d/t sympathetic irritation
- subtle clue you are in the trachea
What to assess with “maskability” ?
- Fatty airway - short thick neck
- Beard or other facial hair
- Anything blocking seal of mask (high nose, facial tumor, hematoma, burn)
- No teeth (do they have teeth, implants)
- BMI? (Increased BMI = decrease mask, swelling of soft tissue)
- Sleep apnea = collapse of soft palate
- Stiff lungs = low compliance = resisting air
What are the classes of Mallampati Scores
Class 1 = Soft palate, fauces, uvula, pillars
Class 2 = Soft palate, fauces portion of uvula
Class 3 = Soft palate, base of uvula
Class 4 = Hard palate only
What are the classes of Cormac Lehane Score
Classifies views obtained at the cords
Class 1 = Visualization of the entire glottis aperture
Class 2 = Visualization of just arytenoid cartilages (cuneiform & corniculate)
Class 3 = Visualization of epiglottis only
Class 4 = Visualization of tongue or of tongue and soft palate only
What is the 3-3-2 Method?
- 3 finger tips between incisors
- 3 finger tips between jawline & hyoid bone (thyromental distance)
- 2 finger tips between hyoid & thyroid notch (Adam’s apple)
Absence of one or more raises likelihood of “anterior” larynx
- the more anterior = harder to intubate = higher cormac lehane & mallampati
What are the indications for Tracheal intubation?
11
- High aspiration risk
- Anticipated/known difficult airway
- Intraoperative positioning (prone/lateral)
- Inability to oxygenate with supraglottic airway or mask
- Shared airway
- Surgery requiring paralysis
- Surgery affecting V/Q mismatch
- Prolonged surgical time (no SGA if > 2hrs)
- GCS < 10
- Critically ill affecting respiratory function
- Controlled management of CO2 (hence ICP)
What are the three airway axes?
- Laryngeal axis
- Pharyngeal axis
- Oral axis
- need these to line up for better intubating conditions = sniff position
Signs of poor masking (6)
- Poor tidal volumes
- Audible leak
- Poor chest rise/excursion
- No fogging
- Low Co2
- Decreasing O2 (late sign
What can be altered to create better maskability
- Assure proper positioning = sniff position
- Consider using mask strap to seal leak
- Consider OPA (oralpharyngeal airway)
- Use two hands w/ assistant help
- Consider LMA or wake up the patient
What are the 3 Fundamentals of a breathing circuit?
- Deliver O2
- Deliver anesthetic gas
- Eliminate Co2
- Washout
- Absorption
What are 5 things that alter resistance in the breathing circuit?
- Diameter - smaller diameter = increased resistance
- Length - longer tube = increased resistance (have more air to shove)
- Bends - the more bends = increased resistance
- Valves - the more valves = increased resistance
- Laminar flow - straight path = decreased resistance
What are the benefits of rebreathing/recycling?
4
- Warming
- Humidifying
- Lower cost
- Decrease anesthetic exposure for personnel