Airway management

Therapeutics

Categories

• airway, Extubation
• intubation, Intratracheal
• respiration, Artificial
• Tracheostomy

This refers to the evaluation of respiration and the range of techniques and devices which can restore and maintain sufficient pulmonary ventilation.

 

Airway

If a patient cannot maintain patency of their airways, these must be protected by medical therapy.

 

Noninvasive techniques

• Face mask 
• Supraglottic airway device (SAD)

 

CICO

If a patient cannot be mechanically ventilated with a face mask and cannot be intubated, the anaesthesiologist must quickly recognise the situation as: "cannot intubate, cannot oxygenate."   
This is a medical emergency and may necessitate a cricothyrotomy. 

 

Breathing

If the respiratory drive of a patient cannot maintain oxygenation, it becomes necessary to mechanically ventilate the patient by pumping air into their lungs.

 

Indications for mechanical ventilation

• General anaesthesia
• If a patient has a low GCS (<8/15) and shows signs of airway compromise
• Paralysis affecting the respiratory muscles