Allergies, a minor cold, and the flu can all cause airway discomfort. Complications from these usually minor conditions can be dangerous, especially in vulnerable people such as the elderly and children. Also, serious conditions such as aspiration, partial obstructions, pneumonia, and other disorders may also trigger airway discomfort. As a first responder, it’s important to know when airway discomfort is a sign of a serious problem or just a passing symptom.

Users of battery-powered portable suction devices often comment that it “sucks”. This can be interpreted in two ways: either negatively or positively. When the negative sentiment applies, there’s no need to despair or throw the unit across the room.

As an EMS provider, you know traumatic injury plays a central role in many emergencies. Trauma calls make up a large percentage of responses and take a tremendous toll on lives throughout our country. Here are a few stark statistics from the National Trauma Institute:

The most critical treatment you provide is airway management. Whether intubating the patient in cardiac arrest, dislodging an obstruction, or simply assisting respirations, the speed and effectiveness of your treatment as a paramedic can mean the difference between life and death for your patients. So, let’s review three critical airway management steps you can’t afford to miss: assessment, equipment, and intervention.

Respiratory emergencies come in many forms. It could be an asthmatic who has suffered since childhood, a COPD patient who still smokes a pack a day, or a near-drowning who was pulled from the deep end of the pool. Whatever the crisis, as an emergency responder, you are called on to treat it. 

As a paramedic or EMT, your first responsibility in patient care is to secure a patent airway. Whether you are placing an EOA to elevate the tongue of an overdosed patient, suctioning the oropharynx of a trauma code, or inserting an endotracheal tube for a patient who has stopped breathing, a thorough understanding of the structures that make up the respiratory tract is a must. 

Advanced airway management goes beyond simple techniques you might learn in a single class. Advanced airway techniques fall into three broad categories, each with various techniques and skills a practitioner must master. 

Pregnant patients exhibit various unique characteristics that first responders must account for during treatment.

A significant challenge responders encounter when treating pregnant women is navigating difficult airway anatomy and possible risks during airway management. The rate of failed intubation in pregnant patients is four to eight times higher than in nonpregnant patients, and this is largely due to anatomical changes, hormone production, and aspiration risks that occur during pregnancy.

The ABCs of patient care begin with the airway. Does your patient have airway patency? Can your patient maintain their airway? Are there any obstructions or contaminants obstructing the airway? Questions like these are likely second nature to you, and you probably don’t even realize you are asking them when caring for your patients.

While it may seem like a minor consideration to some, EMS providers know that patient positioning plays a crucial role in the quality, safety and effectiveness of medical treatment. An article from the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation states that patient positioning is 90% of the airway management battle.