Airway Flashcards by Polly Moore

Which of the following statements regarding normal gas exchange in the lungs is correct?

Oxygen and carbon dioxide diffuse across the alveolar walls and capillaries

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Which of the following structures ins NOT found in the upper airway?

Bronchus

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The leaf-shaped structure located superior to the larynx is called the:

Epiglottis

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The ____ cartilage is a firm ring that forms the inferior part of the larynx

Cricoid

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Structures of the lower airway include the following, except:

Epiglottis

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The actual exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide occurs in the:

alveolar sacs

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Which of the following structures is contained within the mediastinum?

Esophagus

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The physical act of moving air into and out of the lungs is called:

Ventilation

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Inhalation occurs when the:

Diaphragm and intercostal muscles contract and cause a decrease in intrathoracic pressure

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The diaphragm functions as an involuntary muscle when a person

sleeps

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The partial pressure of oxygen in the alveoli is ____mm Hg, while the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the alveoli is ______ mm Hg.

104, 40

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Tidal volume is defined as the volume of air that:

moves into or out of the lungs in a single breath

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What is the minute volume of a patient with a tidal volume of 500 mL, a dead space volume of 150 mL, and a respiratory rate of 16 breaths per minute?

5,600 mL

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Which of the following factors will cause a decreased minute volume in an adult?

Shallow breathing

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In contrast to inhalation, exhalation:

is a passive process caused by increased intrathoracic pressure.

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Hypoxia is MOST accurately defined as:

inadequate oxygen to the tissues and cells

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The hypoxic drive is influenced by:

low blood oxygen levels

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Which of the following is a late sign of hypoxia?

cyanosis

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Which of the following statements regarding oxygenation and ventilation is correct?

In mines or confined places, where oxygen levels are low, ventilation may continue despite adequate oxygenation

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Each cell of the body combines nutrients and oxygen and produces energy and waste products through a process called:

metabolism

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The process of exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide between the alveoli and the blood of the capillaries is called:

external respiration

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Gas exchange in the lungs is facilitated by:

adequate amounts of surfactant

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In the presence of oxygen, the mitochondria of the cells convert glucose into energy through a process called

aerobic metabolism

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Without adequate oxygen, the body’s cells:

incompletely convert glucose into energy and lactic acid accumulates in the blood

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The primary waste product of aerobic metabolism is:

Carbon dioxide

Central chemoreceptors located in the medulla provide feedback to increase the rate and depth of breathing when they sense:

slight elevations in carbon dioxide or a decrease in the pH of the CSF

A ventilation/perfusion mismatch occurs when:

a disruption in blood flow inhibits the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs, even though the alveoli are filled with fresh oxygen

If ventilation is impaired, carbon dioxide levels in the bloodstream will increase. This condition is called:

Hypercarbia

Intrapulmonary shunting occurs when:

Blood coming from the right side of the heart bypasses nonfunctional alveoli and returns to the left side of the heart in an unoxygenated state.

An adult at rest should have a respiratory rate that ranges between:

12 and 20 breaths/min

Which of the following patients is breathing adequately?

a conscious male with respirations of 19 breaths/min and pink skin

Which of the following statements regarding breathing adequacy is correct?

Patients breathing shallowly may require assisted ventilation despite normal respiratory rate

Which of the following would NOT cause a decrease in tidal volume?

deep respirations

Irregular respirations characterized by an increasing rate and depth of breathing followed by periods of apnea are called:

Cheyne-Stokes respirations

An unconscious patient found in a prone position must be placed in a supine position in case he or she:

requires cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

You are dispatched to a residence where a middle-aged man was found unconscious in his front yard. There are no witnesses who can tell you what happened. You find him in a prone position; his eyes are closed and he is not moving. Your first action should be to:

log roll him as a unit into a supine position

What is the MOST common cause of airway obstruction in an unconscious patient?

the tongue

IN which of the following patients would the head tilt chin lift be the MOST appropriate method of opening the airway

37 female who is found unconscious in her bed

The jaw-thrust is used to open airway of patients with suspected:

C Spine injuries

Which of the following patients would MOST likely require insertions of OPA

a 20 year old unconscious patient with slow, shallow respirations

A 19 year old female is found unconscious by her roommate. Your primary assessment reveals that her breathing is inadequate. As you insert an OPA, she begins to gag violently. You should;

Remove the airway and be prepared to suction

To select the proper size OPA, you should measure from the:

corner of mouth to earlobe

The NPA is MOST beneficial because is

Can maintain a patent airway in a semiconscious patient with a gag reflex

The MOST serious complication associated with using a nasopharyngeal airway in a patient with trauma to the head of face is:

penetrating the cranium

A NPA is inserted

with the bevel facing the septum if inserted into the right nare

A 71 year old male is semiconscious following a sudden, sever headache. There is vomitus on his face and his respirations are slow and shallow. The EMT must immediately:

Perform OP suctioning

When testing a mechanical suctioning unit, you should turn on the device, clamp the tubing and ensure that it generates a vacuum pressure of more than:

300 mm Hg

The MOST significant complication associated with OP suctioning is

Hypoxia due to prolonged suction attempts

Proper technique for suctioning the OP of an adult patient includes:

Suctioning while withdrawing the catheter from the OP

You have inserted an oral airway and are ventilating an apnea woman with a bag-mask device. She suddenly begins regurgitating large amounts of vomit. You should:

roll her onto her side and remove the oral airway

A 23 year old male experienced sever head trauma after his motorcycle collided with an oncoming truck. He is unconscious, has rapid and shallow breathing, and has copious bloody secretions in his mouth. How should you manage his airway?

Alternate 15 seconds of suctioning with 2 minutes of assisted ventilation

Which of the following patients should you place in recovery position?

A 31 year old semiconscious male with low blood sugar and adequate breathing

Which of the following organs or tissues can survive the longest without oxygen?

muscle

The purpose of the pin indexing system that has been established for compressed gas cylinders is to

ensure that the correct regulator is used for the cylinder

The pressure of gas in a full cylinder of oxygen is approximately _____ pounds per square inch

2,000

Which of the following oxygen flowmeters is NOT affected by gravity and can be used in any position when attached to an oxygen cylinder?

Bourdon-gauge flowmeter

An oxygen cylinder should be taken out of service and refilled when the pressure inside it is less than:

500 psi

Which of the following statements regarding oxygen is correct?

Oxygen supports the combustion process and may cause a fire

A patient who is suspected of being hypoxic and is breathing adequately should be given supplemental oxygen with a:

nonrebreathing mask

With a good mask to face seal and an oxygen flow rate of 15 ppm, the nonrebreathing mask is capable of delivering up to

90% inspired oxygen

Prior to applying a nonrebreathing mask on a patient, you must ensure that the:

reservoir bag is fully inflated

At a flow rate of 6 Lpm, a nasal cannula can deliver an approximate oxygen concentration of up to:

44%

The nasal cannula is MOST appropriately used in the prehospital setting:

when the patient cannot tolerate a nonrebreathing mask

The main advantage of the Venturi mask is:

The use of its fine adjustment capabilities in the long term management of physiologically stable patients

A 51 year old female presents with a sudden onset of difficulty breathing.She is conscious and alert and able to speak in complete sentences. Her respirations are 22 breaths per minute and regular. You should:

administer 100% oxygen via a nonrebreathing mask

What occurs when a patient is breathing very rapidly and shallowly?

Air moves primarily in the anatomic dead space and does not participate in pulmonary gas exchange

As the single EMT managing an apneic patient's airway, the preferred initial method of providing ventilations is the:

mouth to mask technique with a one-way valve

You and your partner are treating a 66 year old man who experienced a sudden onset of respiratory distress. He is conscious but is unable to follow simple verbal commands. Further assessment reveals that his breathing is severely labored and his oxygen saturation is 80%. You should:

Assist his ventilations with a bag-mask device

Which of the following statements regarding positive-pressure ventilation is correct?

With positive pressure ventilation, more volume is required to have the same effects as normal breathing

How does positive pressure ventilation affect cardiac output?

It increases intrathoracic pressure, which decreases venous return to the heart and causes a decrease in cardiac output

You are ventilation a 40 year old uninjured man who is apnea but has a pulse. When your partner reassesses his blood pressure, he notes that it has decreased significantly from previous readings. You elevate the patient's legs, but it has no effect. You should:

reevaluate the rate and volume of you ventilations

You are performing mouth to mask ventilations with oxygen connected and set at a flow rate of 15 lpm. What percentage of oxygen is your patient receiving?

55%

You and your partner are caring for a critically injured patient. Your partner is controlling sever bleeding from the patient's lower extremities as you attempt ventilations with a bag-mask device. After repositioning the mask several times, you are unable to effectively ventilate the patient. You should:

Begin ventilations using the mouth to mask technique

Which of the following statements regarding the one person bag mask device technique is correct?

Adequate tidal volume is often difficult to achieve when one EMT is operating the bag mask device

Despite your attempts to coach a conscious young female's respirations, she continues to hyperventilate with a marked reduction in tidal volume. You should:

explain to her that you will assist her ventilations