Airway Anatomy
This structure is the first ring of the trachea.
What is the cricoid cartilage?
The physical movement of air into and out of the lungs.
What is ventilation?
A normal respiratory rate for an adult.
What is 12–20 breaths per minute?
The most common airway obstruction in an unconscious patient.
What is the tongue?
Deep, rapid respirations commonly seen with metabolic acidosis.
What are Kussmaul respirations?
A patient is breathing 18 times per minute with equal chest rise, clear lung sounds, and good tidal volume.
Is this breathing adequate?
Yes.
This portion of the airway is responsible for warming, filtering, and humidifying inspired air.
What is the upper airway?
The process of loading oxygen onto hemoglobin.
What is oxygenation?
Two signs that indicate adequate breathing.
What are equal chest rise, clear bilateral breath sounds, adequate tidal volume, or regular respirations?
This maneuver is preferred when cervical spine injury is suspected.
What is the jaw-thrust maneuver?
Increasing depth and rate of respirations followed by apnea.
What are Cheyne-Stokes respirations?
An unconscious trauma patient has snoring respirations.
What airway maneuver should you perform first?
Jaw-thrust maneuver.
A patient aspirates food while eating. This structure failed to protect the airway during swallowing.
What is the epiglottis?
The actual exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide at the alveoli and tissues.
What is respiration?
This abnormal finding suggests increased work of breathing.
What are accessory muscle use (or retractions)?
You hear gurgling while assessing an unconscious patient.
What should you do?
Irregular respirations commonly associated with severe head injury.
What are ataxic respirations?
A patient is breathing 30/min with shallow respirations and cyanotic lips.
Is oxygen alone sufficient?
No. They require ventilatory support.
This landmark marks where the trachea divides into the right and left mainstem bronchi.
What is the carina?
The average adult tidal volume.
What is 500 mL?
Pulse oximetry is considered unreliable for immediately detecting respiratory decline because of this limitation.
What is the delay in reflecting oxygenation changes?
This maneuver should only be used when spinal injury is NOT suspected.
What is the head tilt–chin lift?
Occasional gasping breaths seen after cardiac arrest.
What are agonal respirations?
A patient has a respiratory rate of 16/min, but poor chest rise, diminished lung sounds, and altered mental status.
Is the patient's breathing adequate?
No. Adequacy depends on effectiveness, not respiratory rate alone.
A penetrating neck injury damages the nerve responsible for diaphragm contraction. The patient begins to develop respiratory failure.
What is the phrenic nerve?
A patient has good ventilation but poor perfusion of the alveoli. This type of mismatch causes impaired gas exchange.
What is a ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) mismatch?
Your patient has an SpO₂ of 99% but is confused after being rescued from a garage with a running vehicle. This assessment tool may provide a falsely reassuring reading.
What is pulse oximetry in carbon monoxide poisoning?
Before ventilating a patient with a BVM, this must be corrected if present.
What is an obstructed airway or excessive secretions requiring suctioning?
A patient with severe head trauma begins breathing in an irregular, unpredictable pattern. This respiratory pattern is most concerning for brainstem dysfunction.
What are ataxic respirations?
An unconscious patient has gurgling respirations, vomitus in the airway, and no suspected trauma.
Place these interventions in order.
What is the correct sequence?
Head tilt–chin lift → Suction → Reassess → Ventilate as needed.