Airway Assessment

Question 1

Signs of blocked or inadequate airway:

Answer 1

• abnormal upper air sound
• awake pt. unable to speak
• foreign body airway obstruction
• swelling of mouth, tongue or oropharynx

Question 2

open the mouth with what technique?

Answer 2

crossed-finger technique

Question 3

head-tilt, chin lift maneuver

Answer 3

• pt. with no suspected spinal injury
• used in unresponsive pt.’s (cardiac arrest)
• must use a mechanical airway if ineffective on it’s own

Question 4

jaw-thrust maneuver

Answer 4

• used when a spinal injury is suspected

- jaw is displaced forward by EMT’s fingers

Question 5

used to suction the mouth or oropharynx, commonly called a Yankauer catheter, tonsil tip or tonsil sucker

Answer 5

Hard or rigid catheter

Question 6

used in suctioning the nose, nasopharynx or other small places. Also called a “French” catheter

Answer 6

Soft catheter

Question 7

Measuring suction catheters for nasopharynx

Answer 7

the tip of the pt.’s nose to tip of his ear

Question 8

Measuring suction catheters for oropharynx

Answer 8

corner of his mouth to the tip of his ear

Question 9

Technique of Suctioning

Answer 9

• apply suction only on the way out
• suction no more than 15 sec. for adult
• suction no more than 5 sec. for infants/children

Question 10

If pt. needs artificial ventilation & suctioning:

Answer 10

apply suction for 15 sec.
then provide ventilation for 2 min
then suction again for 15sec.

Question 11

Oropharyngeal Airway

Answer 11

• must be unresponsive w/ no gag reflex
• measure holding next to pts.. face (level of front teeth to angle of the jaw)
• in adult, insert airway upside down then rotate 180* until flat end is on teeth

Question 12

Nasopharyngeal Airway

Answer 12

• used for pts. with gag reflex
• measure from tip of nose to tip of earlobe
• bevel should be facing the septum (wall between the nostrils)

Question 13

amount of air breathed that reaches the alveoli

Answer 13

Alveolar ventilation