ABSTRACT
Nurses need to be able to manage a variety of airway emergencies, ranging from attending a ward cardiac arrest and managing an airway, a patient arriving in critical care requiring emergency intubation to managing a tracheostomy in a long-term ventilation patient. This chapter analyses the basic principles of airway management, including airway adjuncts, rapid sequence induction and tracheostomy care. An airway obstruction can be partial or complete. Prior to the arrival of specialist emergency equipment, basic airway opening procedures must be used. Following any airway procedure check the airway remains patent by looking, listening and feeling. If the airway is obstructed, look and remove any solid foreign body in the mouth with forceps or suction. Both nasopharyngeal airway and oropharyngeal airway prevent soft palate obstruction and backward tongue displacement in an unconscious patient, but basic airway opening procedures including a head, tilt chin lift or jaw thrust may be needed.
