A Airway with cervical spine control

A: Airway with cervical spine control

All trauma patients should have their cervical spine immobil ised and protected throughout. An immediate assessment of the patient’s airway is made. A compromised airway requires a stepwise progression, first clearing the airway by suctioning secretions or b lood, followed by simple airway manoeuvres such as a jaw thrust, chin lift and insertion of an oropharyn geal or nasopharyngeal airway . Advanced airway manoeuvres necessitate the insertion of a cu ff ed endotracheal tube. This may require an anaesthetic with rapid sequence induction or a surgical airway . Emergency intubation of the severely injur trauma patient is a di ffi cult and demanding skill – standardised and rehearsed procedures should be in place for failure to intubate ( Figure 27.1 ). Equipment and expertise for achieving a surgical airway must be readily available. A: Airway with cervical spine control

All trauma patients should have their cervical spine immobil ised and protected throughout. An immediate assessment of the patient’s airway is made. A compromised airway requires a stepwise progression, first clearing the airway by suctioning secretions or b lood, followed by simple airway manoeuvres such as a jaw thrust, chin lift and insertion of an oropharyn geal or nasopharyngeal airway . Advanced airway manoeuvres necessitate the insertion of a cu ff ed endotracheal tube. This may require an anaesthetic with rapid sequence induction or a surgical airway . Emergency intubation of the severely injur trauma patient is a di ffi cult and demanding skill – standardised and rehearsed procedures should be in place for failure to intubate ( Figure 27.1 ). Equipment and expertise for achieving a surgical airway must be readily available.