A growing group of people are passionate about airway management and minimizing the risks of aspiration and its subsequent effects. Dr. James DuCanto identified an improved technique called suction-assisted laryngoscopy and airway decontamination (SALAD).

Training is an essential part of your job. With the demands of your work schedule, spending time with your family, and your daily obligations, you may find yourself struggling to find the motivation to put in extra time for training. But even the most skilled practitioners need to train—and train often—to best serve their patients when airway emergencies occur.

It’s a dramatic plot twist in movies, medical dramas, and even the occasional sitcom (think MacGyver): A character is choking or in respiratory distress and standard interventions like the Heimlich maneuver just aren’t cutting it. So a heroic bystander takes things into their own hands and jams a pen into the victim’s throat, much to everyone’s horror. But then, to everyone’s shock and relief, doing so clears the airway, allowing the survivor to breathe until help arrives. But can you really do this?

Hypercapnia, also known as hypercarbia or carbon dioxide toxicity, causes dangerous levels of CO2 in the blood. In most cases, it signals a respiratory problem such as poor lung function, but it can also happen among deep divers, particularly when they do not breathe adequately, or have contaminated oxygen supplies. 

Airway management is a key pillar of emergency medicine. When performed correctly, it can save lives, improve surgical outcomes, and improve the quality of life for terminally ill patients. However, airway management presents complications and risks. Knowing the contraindications for airway management can help you better serve patients and reduce the risk of needless morbidity. 

A tracheostomy opens a direct airway into the neck. Its prevalence in long-term care is increasing, and some providers assert that early tracheostomy in mechanically ventilated patients may decrease complications and reduce morbidity.

Pediatric emergencies are always a bit unsettling. Fortunately, children make up a minority of our patients, but when these emergencies occur, it can be stressful—for the patient, for the patient’s family, and for you, the responder.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects almost 12 million people in the United States. Though people of widely varying health profiles can develop this disorder, it is more common among people who smoke. Suctioning these patients demands skill and compassion. Here’s what you need to know about suctioning a patient with COPD.

Around 1.4 million people living with a life-limiting illness receive care from hospices in the United States annually. To optimize the quality of life for patients in hospice and palliative care settings, healthcare providers must be knowledgeable about the unique breathing problems and airway emergencies these patients experience, along with the best methods for airway management and treatment.

Endotracheal intubation offers life-saving relief when an airway obstruction endangers a patient’s life. Yet many first responders have little experience with endotracheal intubation, and some actively avoid training opportunities because they feel overwhelmed and intimidated by the process. Endotracheal intubation is a basic skill that every first responder must master.