airway obstruction

airway obstruction,

a mechanical impediment to the delivery of air to the lungs or to the absorption of oxygen in the lungs.

observations If the obstruction is minor, as in sinusitis or pharyngitis, the person is able to breathe, but not normally. If the obstruction is acute, the person may grasp the neck, gasp, become cyanotic, and lose consciousness.

interventions Acute airway obstruction requires rapid intervention to save the person's life. In cases of obstruction caused by a bolus of food, a collection of mucus, or a foreign body, the object may be removed manually, by suction, or with the Heimlich maneuver. Obstruction caused by an inflammatory or allergic reaction may be treated with bronchodilating drugs, corticosteroids, intubation, and administration of oxygen. An emergency tracheotomy may be required if the obstruction cannot be mechanically or pharmacologically relieved within a few minutes.

nursing considerations The patient is usually very apprehensive and may physically resist assistance. Medical help is summoned, and emergency care is begun and includes removing the obstruction, administering oxygen, and performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary. See also aspiration.

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airway,

n 1. a clear passageway for air into and out of the lungs.
2. a device for securing unobstructed respiration during general anesthesia or in states of unconsciousness.

airway, chin lift,

n a method of opening the trachea of an individual by manually changing the position of his or her head in order to perform rescue breathing.

airway obstruction,

n an abnormal condition of the respiratory pathway characterized by a mechanical impediment to the delivery or to the absorption of oxygen in the lungs, as in choking, bronchospasm, obstructive lung disease, or laryngospasm.

airway obstruction, chest thrust,

n an alternate method of removing an obstacle lodged in the airway by compressing the sternum; used when pregnancy or a patient's body size render the Heimlich maneuver impossible or inappropriate. See Heimlich maneuver.

airway obstruction, infant chest thrust,

n a method of removing an obstacle lodged in the airway of an infant by placing the child facedown along the forearm and striking the child's back with the opposite hand. See Heimlich maneuver.

airway resistance,

n the ratio of pressure difference between the oral cavity, nose, or other airway opening and the alveoli to the simultaneously measured resulting volumetric gas flow rate.

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airway

1. the passage by which air enters and leaves the lungs.

2. a mechanical device used for securing unobstructed respiration during general anesthesia or other occasions in which the patient is not ventilating or exchanging gases properly. Includes an endotracheal tube and a tracheostomy tube.

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artificial airway

endotracheal or tracheostomy tubes.

airway obstruction

in the unanesthetized animal is usually caused by vomitus or laryngeal spasm due to foreign material in the larynx. In the nonintubated anesthetized animal, it is caused by caudal displacement of the tongue and epiglottis, accumulation of mucus, saliva and blood in the pharynx or laryngeal spasm resulting from that accumulation. In the intubated animal, faulty placement or functioning of the endotracheal tube or kinking of it can cause obstruction of the airway. The signs of obstruction are deep, asphyxial respirations, struggling and great agitation in the conscious animal. Deeply anesthetized animals simply show a decline in respiratory efficiency.

airway reflexes

aid in the removal of secretions and foreign material. See also cough, sneeze.

airway resistance

the resistance to airflow through the respiratory tree and any addition to the airway, such as the endotracheal tube and connectors in a closed circuit anesthetic machine.