AEMT Airway Management and Ventilation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which airway adjunct is inserted through the mouth and used to keep the tongue from obstructing the airway in an unconscious patient?
- Nasopharyngeal airway
- Oropharyngeal airway (Correct answer)
- Supraglottic airway
- Endotracheal tube
Correct answer: Oropharyngeal airway
An oropharyngeal airway (OPA) is inserted through the mouth to prevent the tongue from blocking the airway in unconscious, non-responsive patients.
Question 2: At what rate should you deliver ventilations to an adult patient who is not breathing but has a pulse?
- 8–10 breaths/min
- 10–12 breaths/min (Correct answer)
- 12–20 breaths/min
- 20–24 breaths/min
Correct answer: 10–12 breaths/min
For an apneic adult with a pulse, AEMT protocols call for rescue breathing at 10–12 breaths per minute (one breath every 5–6 seconds).
Question 3: Which sign is the BEST indicator of correct BVM placement and effective ventilation?
- Epigastric gurgling
- Visible chest rise (Correct answer)
- High airway resistance
- Muffled heart sounds
Correct answer: Visible chest rise
Visible bilateral chest rise is the primary clinical indicator that the bag-valve-mask is correctly positioned and ventilations are effective.
Question 4: A supraglottic airway device such as the King LT or LMA is best described as:
- A definitive airway that passes through the vocal cords
- An advanced airway placed above the glottis to channel air into the trachea (Correct answer)
- A device used only for conscious patients in respiratory distress
- A catheter used for suctioning the lower airway
Correct answer: An advanced airway placed above the glottis to channel air into the trachea
Supraglottic airways sit above the glottic opening and create a sealed channel that directs ventilations into the trachea without passing through the cords.
Question 5: After inserting a supraglottic airway in a cardiac arrest patient, you should confirm placement by:
- Observing cyanosis resolve immediately
- Auscultating breath sounds and checking waveform capnography (Correct answer)
- Noting the patient's SpO2 rises above 99%
- Feeling air exhaled from the device after each compression
Correct answer: Auscultating breath sounds and checking waveform capnography
Auscultating bilateral breath sounds and confirming waveform capnography are the standard methods for verifying supraglottic airway placement.
Question 6: Which suction catheter is preferred for clearing thick secretions from the oropharynx of an adult patient?
- French whistle-tip catheter
- Rigid (Yankauer) catheter (Correct answer)
- Nasogastric tube
- Bulb syringe
Correct answer: Rigid (Yankauer) catheter
The rigid Yankauer catheter provides the greatest suction force and is designed to clear thick secretions and debris from the oropharynx.
AEMT Airway Management and Ventilation 1
Which airway adjunct is inserted through the mouth and used to keep the tongue from obstructing the airway in an unconscious patient?