03 Airway Management and Ventilation Free Online FlashCards

How do oxygenation and ventilation differ?

Oxygenation transfers oxygen into the blood; ventilation moves air to remove carbon dioxide.

What does pulse oximetry not directly assess?

Pulse oximetry estimates oxygen saturation, not ventilation. It can lag during deterioration and may mislead with poor perfusion or motion.

Which findings can signal ventilatory failure?

Slow, shallow, irregular, or absent breathing, fatigue, decreasing responsiveness, and poor chest rise can indicate ventilatory failure.

What can snoring, gurgling, and stridor indicate?

Snoring often suggests soft-tissue obstruction, gurgling suggests fluid, and stridor suggests upper-airway narrowing.

Which airway-opening maneuvers suit suspected trauma versus no suspected trauma?

Use head-tilt/chin-lift when trauma is not suspected. Use jaw-thrust when cervical-spine injury is possible; airway opening takes priority if the maneuver fails.

When is an oropharyngeal airway appropriate?

Use an OPA for an unresponsive patient without an intact gag reflex. Remove it if it triggers gagging or vomiting.

When may an NPA be useful, and when does it require caution?

An NPA may help when airway reflexes remain or an OPA is not tolerated. Use special caution with suspected severe midface trauma or basilar skull fracture, and never force insertion.

Which patient may be suitable for CPAP?

CPAP may help a spontaneously breathing patient in severe respiratory distress who can cooperate. Avoid or use caution with apnea, inability to protect the airway, vomiting, or hemodynamic instability.

What are the key steps for effective BVM ventilation?

For apnea or inadequate breathing, open the airway, use an adjunct when appropriate, seal the mask tightly, and ventilate only enough to produce visible chest rise.

How can a two-person BVM technique improve ventilation?

One rescuer can use both hands to maintain the mask seal and airway position while another squeezes the bag; this often improves ventilation.

What ventilation rate is reasonable for an adult with a pulse in respiratory arrest?

For an adult with a pulse in respiratory arrest, the 2025 AHA guidance considers one breath every six seconds, with visible chest rise, reasonable.

What principle should guide escalation to an advanced airway?

Choose the method that reliably maintains oxygenation and ventilation with the least interruption and risk. Effective BVM may be preferable to an advanced airway.