This document discusses maintaining a patent airway, which refers to keeping an open airway between the lungs and outside world. It identifies potential causes of airway obstruction like foreign objects, infections, trauma, and altered consciousness. Signs of obstruction include abnormal breath sounds, respiratory changes, coughing, and hypoxemia. Interventions to maintain a patent airway include removing obstructions, positioning, deep breathing exercises, suctioning, medications, and artificial airways like oropharyngeal airways, nasopharyngeal airways, endotracheal tubes, or tracheostomies if needed. Airway maneuvers like head-tilt chin-lift and jaw-thrust are also described to open the airway.

1. MAINTAINING PATENT
AIRWAY
BY
Mrs. Babitha K Devu

2. Introduction
Airways must remain free from obstruction to enable
effective respiratory function and thus sustain life.
Remember, if the client has stopped breathing initiate
artificial breathing.
Airway management is the medical process of ensuring
there is an open pathway between a patient’s lungs
and the outside world, as well as reducing the risk of
aspiration. Airway management is a primary
consideration in cardiopulmonary resuscitation,
anesthesia, emergency medicine, intensive care
medicine and first aid.

3. MAINTAINING PATENT AIRWAY
• Airway is called patent whenever there
is an open pathway between a
patient’s lungs and the outside world.
• An airway obstruction is a blockage in the
airway. It may partially or totally prevent
air from getting into your lungs.

4. Causes Of Airway Obstruction
1. Foreign Body Inhalations
2. Allergic/ Anaphylactic Reactions
3. Respiratory Tract Infections- Diphtheria,
Tracheitis, Epiglottitis
4. Trauma- Burns, Steam Inhalations,
Penetrating Injuries
5. Altered Consciousness- Head Injuries,
Alcohol& Drug Overdose, Cardio Respiratory
Arrest.

5. Assessment Of Airway
• Breathing pattern
– Dyspnoea
– Laboured breathing
•Breathing sound
- Stridor
- wheezing
•Chest wall movement
- Reverse movement of these, i.e. chest sucked in
and abdomen protruding indicates an obstruction

6. How The Airway Is Maintained Patent?
• Coughing is the main mechanism for clearing the
airway.
• The cough may be ineffective in disease states
such as pain from surgical incisions/trauma,
respiratory muscle fatigue, or neuromuscular
weakness.
• Other mechanisms that exist in the lower
bronchioles and alveoli to maintain the airway
include the muco-ciliary system & macrophages

7. Signs Of Airway Obstruction:
• Abnormal breath sounds
• Changes in respiratory rate or depth
• Cough
• Hypoxemia
• Cyanosis
• Dyspnea
• Chest wheezing
• Tachycardia

8. Interventions To Maintain Patent
Airway
Management
• Removal of foreign bodies
• Removal of vomit and regurgitation
• Airway manoeuvres
• Invasive airway management

9. Interventions To Maintain Patent
Airway
• Assist patient in performing deep breathing and
coughing exercises.
• Instruct patient in the following:
Optimal positioning (sitting position)
Use of pillow or hand splints when coughing
Use of abdominal muscles for more forceful
cough
Use of Incentive Spirometry
Importance of ambulation and frequent position
changes

10. ….Interventions To Maintain Patent
Airway
• If cough is ineffective use Suctioning as
needed to remove sputum and mucus plugs.
• Encourage adequate intake of fluids to prevent
dehydration.
• Administer medications (e.g., antibiotics,
mucolytic agents, bronchodilators,
expectorants) as ordered
• Consult respiratory therapist for chest
physiotherapy

11. ………Interventions To Maintain Patent
Airway
• Instruct patient how to use prescribed inhalers
• Provide Steam Inhalation to clear the
secretions
• If the obstruction is not resolved insert
artificial airway.

12. Removal of foreign bodies
• If you suspect an
obstruction check in
the client’s mouth
for any obvious
obstruction, e.g.
foreign body, etc.
and remove same by
sweeping the mouth
with a finger. Great
care should be taken
not to push any
foreign body further
into the air passage

13. Removal of vomit and regurgitation
• In the case of a patient who vomits or has other
secretions in the airway, these techniques will not be
enough. Use suction to clean out the airway,
although this may not always be possible.

14. Removal of vomit and regurgitation
• An unconscious patient who is
regurgitating stomach contents
should be turned into the recovery
position when there is no suction
equipment available. As this allows
(to a certain extent) the drainage
of fluids out of the mouth instead
of down the trachea. The recovery
position refers to one of a series of
variations on a lateral recumbent
or three-quarters prone position of
the body, in to which an
unconscious but breathing casualty
is placed.

15. AIRWAY MANEUVERS
• Head-tilt chin-lift: Basic procedure used in
cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Rescuers one
hand tilts head back while other hand is
placed under the chin to lift it.

16. AIRWAY MANEUVERS
• Jaw-thrust manoeuvre: Index and middle
fingers are used to physically push the
posterior (back) aspects of the mandible
upwards while their thumbs push down on
the chin.

18. Artificial airways
• Most common invasive air ways are
a) Oropharyngeal airway
b) Naso pharyngeal airway
c) Tracheal intubation.
• Surgical management:
• Tracheotomy- is a surgically created opening
from the skin of the neck down to the trachea.

19. OPA

22. NPA

24. ENDOTRACHEAL TUBE

27. TRACHEOSTOMY

29. EVERYTHING IS EASY IF U R
CRAZY
NOTHING IS EASY IF U R LAZY