Airway Management and Techniques Flashcards
7 cards from real FANZCA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Airway Management and Techniques flashcards as text
Which topical anaesthetic agent is most commonly used for awake fibreoptic intubation of the airway due to its rapid onset and relatively low systemic toxicity at clinical doses?
Answer: Lignocaine (lidocaine) 4%
Lignocaine (lidocaine) 4% is the most widely used topical agent for awake fibreoptic intubation due to its favourable safety profile, rapid onset, and well-established maximum safe dose of approximately 9 mg/kg when applied topically.
During awake fibreoptic intubation, a superior laryngeal nerve block is performed to anaesthetise which anatomical region?
Answer: Piriform fossae and laryngeal inlet above the cords
The superior laryngeal nerve (internal branch) provides sensory innervation to the laryngeal inlet and piriform fossae above the vocal cords; blocking it anaesthetises this region to facilitate awake intubation.
When sizing an endotracheal tube for a child using the age-based formula, which of the following correctly represents the uncuffed tube size calculation?
Answer: (Age/4) + 4
The standard formula for uncuffed endotracheal tube internal diameter in children is (age in years / 4) + 4, which reliably estimates appropriate tube size from approximately 1 to 8 years of age.
A patient undergoing anaesthesia has a sudden decrease in end-tidal CO2 to near zero while the airway pressure remains normal and SpO2 begins to fall. What is the MOST likely diagnosis?
Answer: Pulmonary embolism
A sudden near-zero ETCO2 with previously normal ventilation (normal pressures) and concurrent haemodynamic collapse is the classic presentation of massive pulmonary embolism, which eliminates CO2 elimination by obstructing pulmonary circulation.
Which of the following is a recognised contraindication to the use of a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) as the primary airway device during general anaesthesia?
Answer: Non-fasted patient undergoing emergency appendicectomy
A non-fasted patient (full stomach) is a recognised contraindication to LMA use as the device does not protect against pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents in the same way as a cuffed endotracheal tube.
What is the landmark used to identify the cricothyroid membrane for emergency front-of-neck access (FONA)?
Answer: The space between the thyroid cartilage and the cricoid cartilage
The cricothyroid membrane lies between the inferior border of the thyroid cartilage and the superior border of the cricoid cartilage; it is the preferred site for emergency FONA because of its accessibility and proximity to the skin surface.
Which physiological parameter most accurately reflects the degree of alveolar ventilation in an intubated patient breathing spontaneously?
Answer: End-tidal CO2 (ETCO2)
End-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) directly reflects alveolar ventilation because CO2 elimination is proportional to minute ventilation; rising ETCO2 indicates hypoventilation and falling ETCO2 indicates hyperventilation.