Airway Management and Oxygen Therapy Flashcards

The jaw thrust maneuver is the preferred technique for opening the airway in a patient with a suspected:

Answer: Cervical spine injury

The jaw thrust opens the airway by displacing the mandible anteriorly without extending or rotating the neck, making it safe when cervical spine injury is a concern.

Partial laryngospasm is most commonly identified by:

Answer: A high-pitched crowing or stridor sound

Partial laryngospasm produces stridor or high-pitched crowing because air moves through a narrowed but not fully closed glottis.

What is the first-line intervention for mild laryngospasm during office-based sedation?

Answer: Apply positive-pressure ventilation with 100% oxygen and jaw thrust

Positive-pressure ventilation with 100% O2 combined with jaw thrust is the least invasive initial step and often successfully breaks mild laryngospasm.

How is the correct size for an oropharyngeal airway (OPA) determined in an adult?

Answer: From the corner of the mouth to the angle of the mandible

An OPA is correctly sized by measuring from the corner of the mouth to the angle of the mandible, ensuring it reaches from the lips to the base of the tongue.

How is the correct size for a nasopharyngeal airway (NPA) determined?

Answer: From the tip of the nose to the earlobe

Measuring from the tip of the nose to the earlobe provides the appropriate NPA length to position the tip at the nasopharynx without entering the larynx.

A simple face mask at 6–10 L/min delivers an approximate FiO2 of:

Answer: 40–60%

A simple face mask without a reservoir bag delivers approximately 40–60% FiO2 at 6–10 L/min, which is between a nasal cannula and a non-rebreather mask.

If a sedation patient becomes unresponsive and cannot be easily repositioned supine, which position helps maintain airway patency and reduces aspiration risk?

Answer: Recovery (lateral decubitus) position

The lateral recovery position allows the tongue to fall away from the posterior pharynx and lets secretions drain from the mouth, reducing aspiration risk.