When faced with the challenge of transporting someone in respiratory distress, emergency responders should be able to identify the symptoms and remain prepared to spring into action with the right procedures and equipment. 

 You are about to head out on a call for a 65-year-old man who is reported to be suffering from sudden respiratory distress. Few details are known about this man’s medical history, so you aren’t entirely sure what you are about to encounter. You grab your First In bag, knowing that your airway management tools mean you’re well–prepared for any airway emergency. 

Portable suction is only used in the field on select calls and not daily. However, when it is needed, it can make the difference between a patient who leaves the hospital and one who dies of aspiration pneumonia after successful resuscitation.

Emergency medical responders are responsible for saving lives every day. Their knowledge and skills enable them to quickly assess and treat patients who may be unconscious, unable to communicate, or located in remote terrain.

Many medical situations require emergency suction. And when you have a patient with an obstructed airway, be it from sputum, blood, vomitus, or tissue, you had better have the suction handy, for there is no other way to return the airway to patency.

We all know the important role suctioning plays in airway management. Imagine treating a respiratory, trauma, or cardiac arrest patient without the aid of suction. Impossible, right? Effective nasotracheal suctioning can mean the difference between a patent and a non-patent airway. It can also mean the difference between life and death for your patient. 

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.

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. 

There are many medical and traumatic causes for a decreased level of consciousness, any of which can lead to a respiratory emergency. A thorough patient assessment and quick diagnosis, followed by aggressive treatment, can prevent the patient's condition from deteriorating. But even optimal care cannot stave off every respiratory complication.