EMS Airway Management

When suctioning the airway, suction should never be applied for longer than ________ seconds. a. 45 b. 10 c. 30 d. 60

10 This is because prolonged suctioning will cause hypoxia and, potentially, death.

When inserting an oropharyngeal airway, how many degrees do you need to rotate the airway so the tip is pointing down into the patient's pharynx? a. 90 b. 270 c. 180 d. 45

180

To be effective, a suction unit must be able to generate air flow of ________ liters per minute and create a vacuum of ________ mmHg. a. 300; 30 b. 30; 30 c. 300; 330 d. 30; 300

30; 300

Which of the following patients should NOT have their airway opened using a head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver? a. A 25-year-old man who is still unresponsive after a grand mal seizure. b. A 50-year-old woman who choked on a piece of food while dining in a restaurant and was lowered to the floor by a waiter. c. A 35-year-old diabetic woman who is in the driver's seat of the car in her driveway, who becomes unresponsive while speaking to her husband. d. A homeless person of undetermined age found lying unresponsive in an alley with no bystanders.

A homeless person of undetermined age found lying unresponsive in an alley with no bystanders If any indication of head, neck, or spine injury is present, do not use the head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver. A person found unresponsive with no witnesses to the cause should be assumed to have head or spinal injuries.

On which of the following types of calls should you bring your portable suction unit to the patient's side upon arrival on the scene? a. All of these b. Seizure c. Cardiac arrest d. Motor vehicle collision

All of these The patient's airway must be kept clear of foreign materials, blood, vomitus, and other secretions. Suctioning is the method of using a vacuum device to remove such materials and should be readily available when caring for all patients.

Which of the following structures is found in the lower airway? a. Tonsils b. Bronchi c. Uvula d. Pharynx

Bronchi The bronchi are the airway passages that split off from the trachea in the lower airway and enter each lung.

Which of the following is the correct method of suctioning? a. Suction intermittently, both while inserting and withdrawing the suction tip or catheter. b. Begin suctioning as you insert the suction tip or catheter into the mouth. c. Insert the catheter or tip to the desired depth prior to applying suction. d. Suction continuously, both while inserting and withdrawing the suction tip or catheter.

Insert the catheter or tip to the desired depth prior to applying suction

Which of the following is an advantage of using a nasopharyngeal airway (NPA)? a. It eliminates the need for manual positioning of the patient's head to keep the airway open. b. It may be tolerated by many patients with a gag reflex. c. All of these d. It is ideal for patients with a suspected skull fracture.

It may be tolerated by many patients with a gag reflex.

What is the danger that an altered mental status can pose to a patient's breathing? a. Depressed alveolar function b. Bronchospasms c. Hyperoxia d. Loss of muscle tone and airway collapse

Loss of muscle tone and airway collapse

Which of the following is a sign of an inadequate airway? a. Typical skin coloration b. Nasal flaring c. Equal expansion of both sides of the chest when patient inhales d. Regular chest movements

Nasal flaring

What is the sound of the soft tissue of the upper airway creating impedance or partial obstruction to the flow of air? a. Snoring b. Gurgling c. Hoarseness d. Stridor

Snoring Sometimes a person may snore while asleep, but if a patient is snoring in the case of injury or illness might indicate a decrease in mental status or that the airway needs assistance to stay open.

Which of the following is true concerning the procedure for inserting a nasopharyngeal airway (NPA)? a. It can only be placed in the right nostril. b. The length of the device is not as important as it is with oropharyngeal airways. c. The bevel should be turned toward the nasal septum. d. If a water-soluble lubricant is not available, a silicon spray can be substituted.

The bevel should be turned toward the nasal septum.

Which of the following is a disadvantage of oropharyngeal airways (OPAs)? a. They cannot be used in a patient with a gag reflex. b. They require the use of a water-soluble lubricant. c. They do not come in pediatric sizes. d. They cannot be used in patients with a suspected skull fracture

They cannot be used in a patient with a gag reflex.

You are ventilating a cardiac arrest patient when he begins to vomit copious amounts of large pieces of undigested food. Which of the following would be most effective in clearing the airway? a. Irrigating the mouth with sterile water to dilute the material before suctioning b. Using a 14 French suction catheter c. Using a rigid pharyngeal suction tip d. Using large bore suction tubing without a tip or catheter attached

Using large bore suction tubing without a tip or catheter attached In the event of copious, thick secretions or vomiting, consider removing the rigid tip or catheter and using the large bore, rigid suction tubing.

The trachea branches off at the ________ and forms two mainstem bronchi. a. alveoli b. bronchioles c. carina d. pleura

carina

The jaw-thrust maneuver is the only ________ airway procedure for an unconscious patient with possible head, neck, or spine injury or unknown mechanism of injury. a. prohibited b. required c. forbidden d. recommended

recommended

Your patient is breathing 4 shallow breaths per minute due to overdosing on his pain medication but he has a palpable radial pulse. He vomited prior to your arrival and is choking. You should: a. insert an oropharyngeal airway and ventilate. b. roll him over onto his side to clear the airway. c. move the patient to the ambulance and suction. d. perform chest thrusts to clear the lungs.

roll him over onto his side to clear the airway Rolling the victim on his side requires no equipment and minimal skill. This maneuver will clear most of the vomit in the patient's airway using gravity.

Perhaps the simplest way to determine if a patient has a patent airway is to: a. check for adequate chest rise. b. auscultate for breath sounds. c. say "hello." d. determine a respiratory rate.

say "hello." You can determine the presence of an airway in most patients by simply saying hello. The patient's ability to speak is an immediate indicator that he is capable of moving air.

The high-pitched sound caused by an upper airway obstruction is known as: a. rhonchi. b. rales. c. gurgling. d. stridor.

stridor

All of the following can result in airway obstructions, except: a. infections. b. facial trauma. c. burns. d. the tongue.

the tongue Often people think that the tongue causes an obstructed airway but, in reality, the epiglottis is connected to the tongue and is what actually causes the obstruction.