Among the many emergencies that can occur while treating patients, bleeding in the airway — which can be caused by various disorders, injuries and even accidents during treatment — presents significant and unique challenges for providers navigating airway management.

One of the most critical scenarios a paramedic will respond to is a respiratory emergency. Respiratory distress can be linked to many underlying medical problems, so it must be recognized immediately, treated proficiently, and monitored continuously. But like any medical emergency, treatment begins with a good assessment.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic medical condition that affects a person’s nighttime breathing. This can lead to fatigue, dry mouth, and issues with daytime wakefulness. Sleep apnea also correlates with a higher risk of serious health problems, including stroke, heart attack, respiratory disease, pneumonia, and premature death.

Pediatric airway problems can lead to devastation for families. According to the Pediatric Perioperative Cardiac Arrest (POCA) registry, respiratory events led to 27% of all pediatric perioperative cardiac arrests.

Likely, this is the first traumatic event the child has experienced and causing further distress will only increase the severity of the problem. It falls to responders to keep an open and friendly disposition during these events, making medical care less intimidating. To be able to focus on that type of demeanor, prior education and comprehension of the causes and solutions to these complications is vital to potentially saving a child’s life or preventing long-term harm.

When we think of traumatic injury, we typically envision gruesome wounds: amputations, avulsions, impaled objects, compound fractures. And any of these injuries can impact the thoracic cavity. But thoracic trauma can also be frighteningly subtle. So, let's discuss the various ways the chest can be impacted by trauma and some of the clinical signs that may accompany such injuries. Recognizing thoracic trauma is the first step in effective treatment.

Sooner or later, every first responder encounters a difficult airway. Training for these scenarios is critical for improving patient care and reducing first responder frustration and burnout. There’s no substitute for lived experience, critical feedback from experienced providers, and drills that mimic real-world situations. And keeping in mind these five tips can help you more effectively treat difficult airways.

The patient has suffered a gunshot wound to the chest, and his blood pressure is dangerously low. You’ve covered the entry wound to prevent a sucking wound, but the patient is exhaling copious bloody froth. You successfully intubate the patient and are bagging, with good chest rise, but the bloody froth continues to interfere with air exchange. It’s time to suction the tube. 

Every patient is unique, and this means expert airway management demands a critical, creative, adaptive approach. However, first responders should follow established protocols and guidelines to get the best results. A simple algorithm can help guide decision-making in airway management while still allowing room for flexible problem-solving. Follow these guidelines to speed up treatment and reduce errors if you encounter a difficult airway:

Often when we think of the airway, we consider the entire respiratory system, forgetting that the upper and lower airway structures have different anatomies and, thus, are affected by different respiratory issues.

On January 2, people around the nation — be they football fans or not — were stunned by the live images from the Monday night football game, as the Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin collapsed seconds after a tackle. Trainers soon began performing CPR, as it was later revealed the young player’s heart stopped twice on the field and he could not breathe without medical assistance.