Airway Management Flashcards
7 cards from real PALS 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 flashcards as text
A 5-year-old child is semiconscious with an intact gag reflex requiring airway support. Which airway adjunct is most appropriate?
Answer: Nasopharyngeal airway (NPA)
The nasopharyngeal airway is better tolerated in patients with an intact gag reflex because it does not stimulate the posterior pharynx as readily as an OPA.
What is the correct technique for inserting an oropharyngeal airway (OPA) in a young child, unlike the adult technique?
Answer: Insert with the concave side directed toward the tongue using a tongue blade
In pediatric patients, the OPA is inserted directly with the curve following the tongue using a tongue depressor to avoid injuring the delicate soft palate.
Which of the following is a contraindication to inserting a nasopharyngeal airway (NPA) in a pediatric patient?
Answer: Suspected basilar skull fracture
Suspected basilar skull fracture is a contraindication to NPA insertion because of the risk of inadvertent intracranial placement through the fractured cribriform plate.
Which formula is most commonly used to estimate uncuffed endotracheal tube size for a child older than 1 year?
Answer: (Age in years / 4) + 4
The formula (Age in years ÷ 4) + 4 provides a reliable estimate of uncuffed ET tube internal diameter in millimeters for children over 1 year old.
How is a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) classified based on its anatomical position?
Answer: Supraglottic airway
The LMA sits above the glottis in the hypopharynx and is classified as a supraglottic airway, as it does not pass through the vocal cords.
What is the primary advantage of using a cuffed endotracheal tube in a hospitalized pediatric patient?
Answer: They provide better control of ventilation pressures and reduce air leak
Cuffed ET tubes allow better control of ventilatory pressures, reduce air leak around the tube, and may decrease aspiration risk in hospitalized children.
Which method is considered the gold standard for confirming correct endotracheal tube placement in a pediatric patient?
Answer: Continuous waveform capnography (end-tidal CO2)
Continuous waveform capnography is the gold standard for confirming and monitoring ET tube placement because it provides real-time evidence of CO2 exchange from the lungs.