ACLS Airway Management and Ventilation Flashcards

Which of the following is a sign of right mainstem bronchus intubation?

Answer: Absent breath sounds on the left side

Right mainstem intubation causes the ETT to ventilate only the right lung, resulting in absent or decreased breath sounds on the left.

What should a rescuer do if a flat capnography waveform is observed after intubation?

Answer: Assume esophageal intubation and remove the tube immediately

A persistently flat capnography waveform after intubation strongly suggests esophageal placement; the tube must be immediately removed and the patient re-oxygenated.

What is the recommended approach when bag-mask ventilation is difficult due to a poor mask seal?

Answer: Reposition the head, use two hands, and consider an airway adjunct (OPA/NPA)

Repositioning the head, using a two-hand technique, and adding an OPA or NPA can significantly improve mask seal and ventilation effectiveness.

In ACLS, passive oxygenation during CPR refers to which technique?

Answer: Allowing the chest recoil to passively draw in oxygen-enriched air through an open airway

Passive oxygenation during CPR uses chest recoil to draw oxygen-enriched air into the lungs through an open airway without active positive-pressure ventilation.

For which patient population is a nasopharyngeal airway (NPA) preferred over an oropharyngeal airway (OPA)?

Answer: Semi-conscious patients with an intact gag reflex

An NPA is preferred for semi-conscious patients who have an intact gag reflex because it is better tolerated and less likely to trigger vomiting than an OPA.

What ventilation rate is recommended during two-rescuer CPR with bag-mask ventilation (no advanced airway)?

Answer: 1 breath after every 30 compressions (30:2 ratio)

Without an advanced airway, two-rescuer CPR follows a 30:2 ratio — 30 chest compressions followed by a brief pause for 2 breaths.