Class notes
Lecture notes Acute Care (SHN169)
- Course
- Institution
Lecture notes on Airway
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
barsaazeem
Content preview
SHN2004 – AirwayAirway
Function of the
airway
Upper airway
The function of the upper airway is to warm, humidify and filter atmospheric air entering
the lungs. The upper airway also protects the lower airway, the production of mucus and
the action of tiny filament hairs called cilia trap, transport and omit fragments of
material alien to the normal airway.
Lower airway
The lower respiratory tract is primarily responsible for the diffusion of oxygen into the
bloodstream and removal of carbon dioxide through upper airway expiration.
Airway
Obstruction
Obstruction of the upper airway is a medical emergency.
Obstruction may be partial or complete and may occur at any level of the airway from
nose/mouth to trachea.
Untreated airway obstruction can cause hypoxic damage to the vital organs and lead to
cardiac arrest and death.
Causes of airway obstruction
Reduced level of consciousness
Body fluids (such as secretions or vomit)
A foreign body
Inflammation (anaphylaxis or burns)
Infection
A trauma
Airway
Assessment
The easiest and fastest airway assessment is to speak to your patient – if they respond
verbally then their airway is patent.
Use a LOOK, LISTEN and FEEL approach to assess the airway. The goal is to assess if the
airway is patent or if there are signs of obstruction.
LOOK:
For chest and/or abdominal movement, as this will indicate movement of air in and out
on inspiration and expiration.
Is there any signs of a foreign body inhalation?
Is the child drooling or unable to swallow own secretions?
LISTEN:
Is the child talking or crying?
Are there audible sounds of breathing? Normal air entry should almost be silent.
, SHN2004 – Airway
Can you hear stridor? This means the airway is partially obstructed.
Can you hear gurgling? This may indicate fluid in the upper airway.
Can you hear snoring? This may mean that the pharynx is partially obstructed by the
tongue.
FEEL:
For air entry and exit.
Airway Management-Choking
Mild airway obstruction:
Victim is able to speak, cough and breathe.
Severe airway obstruction:
Victim cannot speak, has a weak or silent cough and is unable to breathe
Airway Management – Simple Manoeuvres
Infant<1 – Neutral
Child>1 – Head tilt chin lift
Airway Management – Airway Adjuncts
Airway adjuncts such as the oropharyngeal (OP) airway or the nasopharyngeal (NP)
airway can be very useful in maintaining the patient’s airway.
Nurses must know when to use them and how to size and insert them.
Oropharyngeal Airway
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller barsaazeem. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $9.24. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
72042 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now