Patient care providers—doctors, first responders, nurses, and a veritable cornucopia of other experts—all must rely on a deep toolbox of life-saving equipment. Caring for patients requires that care providers know when, where, and how to use these tools, and that they keep these tools ready to go at all times. This is more than just a professional duty; it’s a moral obligation. Care providers can face serious consequences when they fail to prepare and correctly use their tools. 

Supraglottic airway devices are a mainstay of emergency management. They open the upper airway, allowing a person to breathe when there is an airway obstruction. Supraglottic devices such as the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) were once primarily used in surgical settings where a patient was under general anesthesia. Today, these devices are standard in many first responder’s kit because of their ability to quickly and safely secure the airway. When tracheal intubation or mask ventilation fail or become impossible to manage, a supraglottic airway can fill the void, preventing or treating serious respiratory emergencies. 

Early training in airway management usually focuses on the easy cases. Even as you graduate to working on the difficult airway, classroom training can’t fully prepare you for the many challenges emergency care will throw at you. You may have to tend to patients who are angry and combative, manage delicate airways in frigid cold or dangerous heat, treat patients in unsecured settings, and help people with dementia, developmental delays, or severe mental illness to understand the process of airway management. These tips can help you maintain a patent airway even in challenging situations. 

Airway protection can be life-saving for people who are experiencing the effects of both acute and chronic respiratory illness. But airway protection is not an antidote to respiratory failure, and will not necessarily prevent it. Indeed, some doctors even argue that the need for airway protection is a sign of respiratory failure, because the patient cannot effectively exchange gases on their own. Prompt intervention in a respiratory emergency may prevent respiratory failure in some cases, although there are no guarantees. 

Quickly and efficiently hooking up your portable suction machine can save precious seconds, preventing hypoxia and reducing the risk of serious respiratory complications. Hooking up a suction machine should only take a few seconds. However, if you’ve never done it before, the process can feel overwhelming and frustrating. It’s important that your team regularly drill the process, particularly if using suction machines is an infrequent part of your job with which team members have little practice. Here are the basic steps for getting your machine ready to go. 

Acute respiratory distress occurs when blood oxygen levels drop too low because of fluid accumulating in the lungs. Numerous medical conditions, both acute and chronic, can cause ARDS. In many cases, a first responder or doctor will hear wheezing or crackling sounds coming from the lungs. When the lungs are clear, this usually signals a hematologic, metabolic, or obstructive process. Here’s what you need to know about diagnosing and treating the cause. 

According to a 2014 study, about 1 in 8 non-traumatic emergency visits were due to respiratory distress. Among patients with respiratory health issues or an emergent trauma, the figure may have been even higher. Assessing respiratory status is a core component of emergency and trauma care, as well as medical intake. Even when respiratory distress is not the presenting issue, it may be a complicating factor. 

Dental health issues are among the most prevalent health afflictions facing Americans. Nearly half of Americans have gum disease. Ninety percent have had at least one cavity, and about 1 in 4 have untreated cavities. Untreated oral health issues can lead to serious health problems, including cardiovascular disease. This means that dentists are on the front lines of the fight for better public health, and oral surgery does a lot more than produce a pretty smile.