severe airway obstruction
Four signs of a severe airway obstruction include difficulty speaking or inability to speak, choking or coughing with no sound, bluish discoloration of the lips or face (cyanosis), and the use of accessory muscles for breathing or gasping for air. These indicators suggest that the airway is significantly compromised and requires immediate medical intervention.
Establish the patients level of responsiveness. Open the Infants airway using the head-tilt chin lift maneuver. Check for breathing by looking down the throat, listening and feeling for any obstruction. Perform infant rescue breathing. Abdominal Thrusts called the Heimlich Maneuver.
A child's airway differs from that of an adult in that the child's tongue is proportionately larger in the oropharynx compered to that of an adult. Also, a child's airway is smaller and softer and more prone to foreign body obstruction. An infant's airway is smaller and softer still and the trachea is usually about the diameter of a pencil.
Asthma: spasms and narrowing of bronchi leading to airway obstruction
To relieve severe airway obstruction in a responsive adult, first, encourage the person to cough forcefully to try to expel the obstruction. If the obstruction persists, perform the Heimlich maneuver (abdominal thrusts) by standing behind the individual, placing your arms around their waist, and delivering quick inward and upward thrusts. Continue this until the obstruction is cleared or the person becomes unresponsive, at which point you should initiate CPR and call for emergency medical assistance.
It is called Airway obstruction / Tracheal obstruction
More severe cases may need assisted breathing devices to wear at night or surgery to correct airway obstruction.
When managing the airway of an infant, it is important to ensure the large head is in a neutral position or slightly extended. This position helps to align the airway and facilitate proper ventilation, as infants have a relatively larger head compared to their body size, which can obstruct the airway if not properly positioned. Keeping the head in this optimal position allows for better airflow and reduces the risk of airway obstruction.
Helium-oxygen therapy is recommended for conditions where improved gas flow and reduced airway resistance can benefit a patient, such as in cases of upper airway obstruction, severe asthma exacerbations, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It can help to improve oxygenation and reduce the work of breathing in these situations.
airway obstruction
When an airway obstruction is present, the chest will continue to rise but the abdomen will no longer move