Airway Complications
Airway Complications - Related Videos
09:28
COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak: Protecting The Airway - Endotracheal Intubation
0 Views •
2020
In pandemic times, medical staff is becoming a key resource in fighting the infection. To achieve the best medical care, relevant techniques and procedures have to be taught to medical staff to reduce the risk of infection. COVID patients often need mechanical ventilation due to progredient respiratory insufficiency, so an endotracheal intubation becomes a critical procedure in managing these patients. This procedure has an increased risk of infection due to aerosol formation and working with...
05:43
Topical Airway Anesthesia for Awake-endoscopic Intubation Using the Spray-as-you-go Technique with High Oxygen Flow
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Cited by 15 •
2017
The topical anesthetic lidocaine was atomized using a high oxygen flow through the working channel of a flexible intubating endoscope to achieve topical airway anesthesia for awake endotracheal intubation. We prefer this modified spray-as-you-go technique for endoscopic intubation to classical bolus application because of higher patient satisfaction and better compliance.
01:24
Healing II: Complications
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2026
Complications during healing arise when tissue repair is altered by local or systemic factors. These changes involve abnormal collagen deposition, altered biomechanics, and reduced vascular supply, impairing restoration of normal structure and function.Loss of FunctionScar tissue differs significantly from the original tissue it replaces. In the skin, fibrosis lacks adnexal structures such as hair follicles, sebaceous glands, and sweat glands. Their absence reduces tactile sensitivity, impairs...
07:08
A Method to Target and Isolate Airway-innervating Sensory Neurons in Mice
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Cited by 9 •
2016
Organ specific sensory neurons are difficult to identify. Fast Blue tracing is used to identify nodose neurons innervating the airways for cell sorting. Sorted nodose neurons are used to extract high quality ribonucleic acid (RNA) for sequencing. Using this protocol, gene expression of airway specific neurons is determined.
08:20
Basic Life Support Part II: Airway/Breathing and Continued Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
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2023
Source: Julianna Jung, MD, FACEP, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Maryland, USA High-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation are the most important interventions for patients with cardiac arrest, and should be the first steps that rescuers perform. This is reflected in the American Heart Association's new "CAB" mnemonic. While rescuers were once taught the "ABCs" of cardiac arrest, they now learn "CAB" -...
FAQs
The clinical pattern can help clinicians estimate where airflow is being disrupted and how urgently it must be addressed. Stridor, wheezing, voice changes, and coughing may point toward different airway problems, while low oxygen saturation signals impaired oxygen delivery. Interpreting these findings together supports faster recognition of deterioration rather than relying on a single symptom.
Several processes can reduce the available airway passage, including swelling, accumulated secretions, foreign material, bronchospasm, infection, and structural injury. Although these causes differ, each can restrict airflow and make ventilation more difficult. Identifying the likely mechanism matters because the immediate response may involve clearing the passage, reducing narrowing, or providing airway support.
A narrowed or obstructed airway limits the movement of air through the respiratory tract. As airflow falls, ventilation and oxygen delivery can become inadequate, producing clinical deterioration and potentially respiratory failure. This relationship explains why worsening breathing difficulty, abnormal airway sounds, or low oxygen saturation should prompt timely assessment and management.
Assessment focuses on breathing difficulty, airway sounds, voice changes, coughing, and oxygen saturation, while clinicians consider whether the problem affects the upper or lower respiratory tract. These observations help establish the likely location and urgency of the complication. The findings then guide decisions about positioning, suction, medication, or more advanced airway support.
Initial management can include positioning the airway to improve passage, using suction to remove secretions or other obstructing material, and administering medications when narrowing results from a process that can respond to them. If these measures are insufficient or deterioration continues, advanced airway support may be indicated to maintain ventilation and oxygen delivery.
Airway complications require particular attention in emergency, perioperative, and critical care settings, where rapid changes in breathing can cause clinical deterioration. Recognizing abnormal sounds, voice changes, coughing, or low oxygen saturation allows clinicians to escalate care promptly. Management may range from basic airway measures to advanced support, depending on the findings and urgency.