Drug overdoses, sudden injuries, respiratory issues, and myriad other health concerns can trigger cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death, but many of these deaths are preventable. Every year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of hospitals. Nearly half of cardiac arrest victims survive when bystanders administer CPR. The figure is even higher when trained first responders are prepared to perform CPR while managing the airway. Airway management is key to successful CPR, and first responders must have the right equipment ready to go. 

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. In the emergency setting, a tracheostomy can save lives when other airway management strategies fail. Like all medical procedures, a tracheostomy presents specific advantages and disadvantages. Here’s what you need to know to make a decision. 

Both basic and advanced airway management can save lives. Neither is more important than the other. Nor is one the “better” option. Indeed, when basic airway management is the safest and most effective option, immediately escalating to advanced airway management can be immensely harmful. 

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

It’s a dramatic plot twist in movies, medical dramas, and even the occasional sitcom: 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? 

Prehospital airway suctioning can treat aspiration, choking, obstructed airways, and other common emergencies. Yet many first responders spend little time thinking about, let alone practicing, this vital skill. Because all interventions, including suctioning, carry some risks, this lack of experience may make providers reluctant to suction patients. Training EMS teams on prehospital airway suctioning can counteract this reluctance and empower teams to provide prompt, efficient, effective care in a wide variety of emergency settings. 

Respiratory issues are common in children. Choking remains a leading cause of childhood injury and death. About 1 percent of newborns experience respiratory distress, and respiratory issues are the leading cause of death among premature infants. Drowning and aspiration are relatively common. An injured or sick child is always a crisis, and caregivers may be panicking as you tend to their beloved little one. The following tips can help you masterfully treat children in a way that saves their lives, protects their dignity, and reassures their caregivers. 

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