airway (redirected from airway reflexes)

airway /air·way/ (-wa)

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

2. a device for securing unobstructed respiration.

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esophageal obturator airway  a tube inserted into the esophagus to maintain airway patency in unconscious persons for positive-pressure ventilation through the attached face mask.

conducting airway  the upper and lower airways considered together.

laryngeal mask airway  a device for maintaining a patent airway without tracheal intubation, consisting of a tube connected to an oval inflatable cuff that seals the larynx.

lower airway  the airway from the inferior end of the larynx to the ends of the terminal bronchioles.

nasopharyngeal airway  a tube inserted through a nostril, across the floor of the nose, and through the nasopharynx so that the tongue does not block air flow in an unconscious person.

oropharyngeal airway  a tube inserted through the mouth and pharynx so that the tongue does not block air flow in an unconscious person.

Airway. Oropharyngeal airway in place.

upper airway  the airway from the nares and lips to the larynx.

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air·way (ârw)

n.

1. Any of the various parts of the respiratory tract through which air passes during breathing.

2. A device used to gain an unobstructed route to convey air into and out of the lungs during general anesthesia or when the respiratory passage is blocked.

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airway

Etymology: Gk, aer + AS, weg, way

1 a tubular passage for movement of air into and out of the lung. An airway with a diameter greater than 2 mm is defined as a large, or central, airway such as a mainstream bronchus; one smaller than 2 mm is considered a small, or peripheral, airway such as a terminal bronchus.

2 a respiratory anesthesia device.

3 an oropharyngeal tube used for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

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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.