Airway Anatomy
The physical boundary that separates the upper airway from the lower airway.
What are the vocal cords?
The preferred piece of equipment for delivering high-flow oxygen (up to 90%) to an adequately breathing patient in the prehospital setting.
What is a nonrebreathing mask (NRB)?
An acute spasm of the smaller air passages (bronchioles) associated with excessive mucus production and swelling of the mucous lining.
What is asthma?
The medical term for a heart attack, occurring when a portion of the heart muscle dies due to a lack of oxygenated blood.
What is an Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI)?
A bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes indicating severe, systemic hypoxia.
What is cyanosis?
The primary dome-shaped muscle of breathing that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity.
What is the diaphragm?
When inserting a nasopharyngeal airway (NPA) into the right nostril, the bevel should point toward this anatomical structure.
What is the nasal septum?
A slow process of dilation and disruption of the airways and alveoli caused by chronic bronchial obstruction, typically seen in heavy smokers.
What is COPD (or emphysema)?
The thick, muscular middle layer of the heart wall that performs the actual pumping action.
What is the myocardium?
High-pitched, whistling breath sounds characteristically heard on expiration, signaling lower airway obstruction.
What is wheezing?
The physical act of moving air into and out of the lungs.
What is ventilation?
For an adult patient with a pulse who requires rescue breathing via a BVM, you should deliver one breath at this frequency.
What is every 6 seconds (or 10 breaths per minute)?
An infectious disease causing inflammation of the lungs, where fluid and pus accumulate within the alveoli.
What is pneumonia?
A buildup of fluid within the lungs, primarily caused by the failure of the left ventricle to pump effectively.
What is pulmonary edema?
A harsh, high-pitched respiratory sound generally heard during inspiration, indicating a partial blockage of the upper airway.
What is stridor?
The process of loading oxygen molecules onto hemoglobin molecules in the bloodstream.
What is oxygenation?
A full, standard D-cylinder of medical oxygen is pressurized to this level.
What is 2,000 psi?
A highly contagious airborne bacterial infection characterized by a severe, violent, and distinct "whooping" cough.
What is pertussis?
A state in which the heart's electrical rhythm remains relatively normal on a monitor, but the heart muscle fails to physically pump, resulting in no palpable pulse.
What is Pulseless Electrical Activity (PEA)?
A noninvasive tool that measures the percentage of hemoglobin molecules saturated with oxygen in the arterial blood.
What is a pulse oximeter?
The volume of air moved in or out of the lungs during a single, normal breath.
What is tidal volume?
A rigid pharyngeal suction tip, commonly known by this name, is the best tool for suctioning the oropharynx of an adult.
What is a Yankauer tip (or tonsil-tip catheter)?
A genetic disorder that affects both the respiratory and digestive systems, causing the production of unusually thick, sticky mucus.
What is cystic fibrosis?
A life-threatening emergency where fluid or blood rapidly fills the pericardial sac, compressing the heart and preventing the ventricles from filling.
What is cardiac tamponade?
Deep, rapid respirations commonly seen in patients experiencing diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) as the body attempts to blow off excess acids.
What are Kussmaul respirations?