BASIC EMS Airway Notes

Airway Management
●​ Treatment goal is to increase gas exchange

End Tidal
●​ Measures expired CO2
●​ Monitor for decrease in CO2 expiration
○​ Means not exchanging gas well
○​ Sign of OD
●​ COPD




○​
○​ Shark fin
○​ > 45mmHg
●​ Normal




○​
○​ Square
○​ < 45mmHg

PEs
●​ Most commonly begin in legs
●​ Cell death where O2 can’t flow
●​ No blood flow = no gas exchange
●​ Monitor for edema in CHF patients

Treating Respiratory Distress
●​ 0.25g terbutaline subcutaneously
●​ Duoneb and/or albuterol treatment
●​ 2mg magnesium sulfate IV over 10 minutes
●​ 1:1000 epi IM if very bad
○​ Use caution on older patients
●​ 125mg solumedrol
●​ Reposition
●​ CPAP if bp is high enough
○​ 3-5mmH2O PEEP
●​ Consider Versed if anxious, if bp is high enough
●​ Consider RSI