TL;DR

Airway Management: Techniques for patent airway: head-tilt chin-lift, jaw thrust, OPA, NPA, suctioning, BVM ventilation.

By Valenke Exam Prep Team·Last updated 2026-06-02

Airway Management

NREMT EMT NREMT PARAMEDIC

Definition

Techniques for patent airway: head-tilt chin-lift, jaw thrust, OPA, NPA, suctioning, BVM ventilation.

Safety Considerations

Field safety for airway management includes scene assessment before patient contact. Ensure BSI (body substance isolation) precautions are in place. PPE selection depends on the mechanism and suspected pathogens. Gloves are the minimum; add mask and eye protection for splash risk, N95 for airborne pathogens.

Never approach a scene involving hazardous materials, violence, or structural instability without proper resources and clearance from incident command.

Patient Communication

Communication about airway management in the prehospital setting includes: explaining procedures to the patient in simple terms, obtaining informed consent when possible (implied consent for unresponsive patients), providing a calm and reassuring presence, and delivering a structured handoff report (SBAR: Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) to the receiving facility.

Practical Example

Field Scenario: An elderly woman found on the floor after a fall. Alert but confused, hip pain with external rotation and shortening of right leg. Suspect hip fracture: splint in position found, monitor for shock.

This scenario tests your ability to apply knowledge of airway management under time pressure with incomplete information, exactly the type of decision-making the certification exam assesses.

Equipment & Tools

Equipment used in airway management assessment and treatment:

BVM: Bag-valve-mask for manual ventilation. Available sizes: Adult (1500mL), Pediatric (500mL), Infant (250mL)
Pulse oximeter: Measures SpO2 via infrared absorption through capillary bed. Available sizes: Finger clip, Earlobe, Pediatric wrap
King airway: Supraglottic blind-insertion airway device. Available sizes: Size 3 (4-5 ft), Size 4 (5-6 ft), Size 5 (over 6 ft)

Why It Matters

First priority in patient assessment, heavily tested on EMT and Paramedic exams.

Practice This Topic

Practice emt air anatomy → NREMT EMT Practice emt air oxygen → NREMT EMT Practice para air advanced → NREMT PARAMEDIC

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Frequently Asked Questions

What vital signs should be monitored when assessing airway management?▼

For airway management: heart rate: 60-100 bpm. SpO2: 95-100%. blood pressure: 90/60-120/80 mmHg. Reassess every 5 minutes for unstable patients.

What assessment tools help evaluate airway management?▼

For airway management: Trauma Score: evaluates GCS, Systolic BP, Respiratory rate; scoring is Revised Trauma Score: coded values 0-4, sum correlates with survival probability. Glasgow Coma Scale: evaluates Eye opening (1-4), Verbal response (1-5), Motor response (1-6); scoring is 3-15, 8 or less = severe, 9-12 = moderate, 13-15 = mild.

What equipment is needed for managing airway management in the field?▼

For airway management: Pulse oximeter provides Measures SpO2 via infrared absorption through capillary bed. Waveform capnograph provides Measures end-tidal CO2 continuously with waveform display. BVM provides Bag-valve-mask for manual ventilation.