Airway Management Flashcards
7 cards from real TNCC 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
During surgical cricothyrotomy, the incision is made through the:
Answer: Cricothyroid membrane between the thyroid and cricoid cartilages
The cricothyroid membrane, located between the thyroid cartilage superiorly and cricoid cartilage inferiorly, is the surgical access site for cricothyrotomy.
A trauma patient's SpO2 reads 99% via pulse oximetry after a house fire. However, you suspect the reading may be falsely reassuring because:
Answer: Pulse oximetry cannot distinguish oxyhemoglobin from carboxyhemoglobin
Standard pulse oximetry reads carboxyhemoglobin as oxyhemoglobin, producing falsely normal or high SpO2 readings in carbon monoxide poisoning.
Following endotracheal intubation, the FIRST action to confirm tube placement should be:
Answer: Waveform capnography
Waveform capnography is the most reliable immediate method to confirm ETT placement and should be the first confirmatory step used.
A trauma patient requires prolonged mechanical ventilation. The ETT cuff pressure should be maintained at:
Answer: 20-30 cmH2O to prevent aspiration and minimize mucosal ischemia
Cuff pressures of 20-30 cmH2O provide an adequate seal to prevent aspiration while minimizing the risk of tracheal mucosal ischemia and necrosis.
In a trauma patient with a suspected basilar skull fracture, which airway technique is relatively contraindicated?
Answer: Nasotracheal intubation
Nasotracheal intubation is relatively contraindicated in basilar skull fractures due to the risk of the tube passing intracranially through a disrupted cribriform plate.
The 'sniffing position' optimizes airway alignment for direct laryngoscopy by:
Answer: Flexing the lower cervical spine and extending the atlanto-occipital joint
The sniffing position aligns the oral, pharyngeal, and laryngeal axes by flexing the lower cervical spine (head on pillow) and extending the atlanto-occipital joint.
A patient with a tension pneumothorax develops sudden deterioration during positive pressure ventilation. The PRIORITY intervention is:
Answer: Needle decompression of the affected side
Positive pressure ventilation can rapidly worsen a tension pneumothorax; immediate needle decompression of the affected hemithorax is the priority life-saving intervention.