The COVID-19 pandemic made acute respiratory distress one of the most common emergencies faced by first responders. Without prompt intervention, the virus led to respiratory failure and life-threatening complications.

Maintaining an open airway to promote oxygenation and ventilation is the cornerstone of airway management. Different tools can be used in the process, ranging from basic to advanced, depending on the patient’s status and provider’s level of training.

Airway suctioning can save lives, support recovery from chronic illnesses, and improve outcomes in ICU patients. Proper airway suctioning is key to preventing infections in patients who cannot clear their own airway, as well as in those who are experiencing certain medical emergencies.

Distracted driving is responsible for about 3,000 deaths each year. Knowing how to treat patients in such crises — and paying special attention to potential airway problems — is essential for providing proper care.

Whether you have a disability, or someone you know has one, disability impacts everyone, at all ages and stages of life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to one in four (27%) adults in the U.S. have some type of disability, and 12.1% of U.S. adults have a mobility disability with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.

It’s back-to-school season. You’ve thought of the lunches, the new pencils and those lovely first-day-of-school outfits. But, is airway safety on your back-to-school checklist? There are many airway emergencies that can happen at school that providers, families, school nurses and teachers should be aware of and prepared to address.

As an EMS responder, you know how important a well-stocked trauma bag can be to the smooth running of emergency scenes. When you’re involved in the rapid, complex stabilization of a trauma patient, there’s nothing better than knowing that every piece of equipment you need is right within arm’s reach. A variety of dressings, assessment tools, and personal protection gear are all critical inclusions in your trauma bag. But none is so imperative as airway equipment, for without a patent airway, nothing you do for your patient will really matter.

COVID-19 fundamentally changed everything about how many people live. Choices that once seemed innocuous, such as going to the dentist or the grocery store, can now expose people to a lethal virus.

Let’s face it: Pediatric patients make even the most seasoned paramedics a bit nervous. Because adults make up the majority of EMS patients, when that little one comes along, it can produce anxiety even among the most experienced medics. And when the child is having trouble breathing, your unease can go through the roof.