Airway Management and Ventilation Flashcards
6 cards from real AEMT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Airway Management and Ventilation flashcards as text
A patient with a nasal fracture and suspected basilar skull fracture needs an airway adjunct. You should:
Answer: Avoid the nasopharyngeal route and use an OPA or supraglottic device instead
A basilar skull fracture is a contraindication for nasopharyngeal airways because the device could inadvertently enter the cranial vault.
What is the maximum amount of time you should suction an adult's airway in a single pass?
Answer: 15 seconds
Suction should not exceed 15 seconds per attempt in adults to minimize hypoxia caused by interrupting ventilation.
Sellick's maneuver (cricoid pressure) is applied to:
Answer: Compress the cricoid ring posteriorly to occlude the esophagus and reduce aspiration risk
Cricoid pressure compresses the cricoid cartilage against the esophagus, reducing the risk of regurgitation and aspiration during ventilation.
Which of the following is a sign of adequate ventilation in an adult patient receiving BVM ventilations?
Answer: EtCO2 of 35–45 mmHg
An end-tidal CO2 of 35–45 mmHg indicates effective alveolar ventilation and proper CO2 clearance.
A patient is intubated and has bilateral breath sounds but high resistance when squeezing the BVM. The MOST likely cause is:
Answer: Bronchospasm or tension pneumothorax
High ventilation resistance with bilateral breath sounds suggests bronchospasm, severe asthma, or a tension pneumothorax compressing the airways.
The nasopharyngeal airway (NPA) is preferred over the OPA in a patient who:
Answer: Is semi-conscious and has an intact gag reflex
The NPA is tolerated by semi-conscious patients with an intact gag reflex because it passes through the nasal passage rather than triggering the gag reflex.