AIRWAY MONITORING

Course overview

AIRWAY MONITORING INVOLVES ASSESSING BOTH A PATIENT’S VENTILATORY FUNCTION AND THEIR ABILITY TO PERFORM ADEQUATE GAS EXCHANGE. DETERMINING A PATIENT’S AIRWAY STATUS IS DONE IN PART BY PERFORMING A THOROUGH PHYSICAL EXAM AND IN PART BY INTERPRETING APPROPRIATE ADJUNCT AIRWAY MONITORING TOOLS. LIKE MANY TOOLS IN MEDICINE, MONITORS PROVIDE VALUABLE INFORMATION TO GUIDE THE DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF PATIENT CARE. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE THEIR LIMITATIONS AND ARE SUBJECT TO INTERPRETATION. VARIOUS AIRWAY MONITORING MODALITIES WILL BE DESCRIBED AND THEIR FUNCTION AND LIMITATIONS. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES METHODS USED TO ASSESS THE AIRWAY, HOW TO INTERPRET THE FINDINGS, AND THE LIMITATIONS OF THESE METHODS. THIS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING PATIENTS WITH AIRWAY COMPROMISE.