Airway management techniques — MCQs

A 45-year-old man was a driver in a motor vehicle collision. The patient is not able to offer a medical history during initial presentation. His temperature is 97.6°F (36.4°C), blood pressure is 104/74 mmHg, pulse is 150/min, respirations are 12/min, and oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. On exam, he does not open his eyes, he withdraws to pain, and he makes incomprehensible sounds. He has obvious signs of trauma to the chest and abdomen. His abdomen is distended and markedly tender to palpation. He also has an obvious open deformity of the left femur. What is the best initial step in management?

A 9-year-old boy presents for incision and drainage of a small abscess on his left thigh. No significant past medical history. No current medications. Before the procedure, the patient is allowed to inhale colorless, sweet-smelling gas. After the procedure, the patient receives 3–4 minutes of high flow oxygen through a nasal mask. The pulse oximetry shows an oxygen saturation of 94%. This patient was oxygenated at the end of the procedure to prevent which of the following complications?

A 5-year-old boy is brought to the emergency department by his grandmother because of difficulty breathing. Over the past two hours, the grandmother has noticed his voice getting progressively hoarser and occasionally muffled, with persistent drooling. He has not had a cough. The child recently immigrated from Africa, and the grandmother is unsure if his immunizations are up-to-date. He appears uncomfortable and is sitting up and leaning forward with his chin hyperextended. His temperature is 39.5°C (103.1°F), pulse is 110/min, and blood pressure is 90/70 mm Hg. Pulse oximetry on room air shows an oxygen saturation of 95%. Pulmonary examination shows inspiratory stridor and scattered rhonchi throughout both lung fields, along with poor air movement. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

A 36-year-old male with fluctuating levels of consciousness is brought to the emergency department by ambulance due to a fire in his home. He currently opens his eyes to voice, localizes painful stimuli, responds when asked questions, but is disoriented and cannot obey commands. The patient’s temperature is 99°F (37.2°C), blood pressure is 86/52 mmHg, pulse is 88/min, and respirations are 14/min with an oxygen saturation of 97% O2 on room air. Physical exam shows evidence of soot around the patient’s nose and mouth, but no burns, airway obstruction, nor accessory muscle use. A blood lactate is 14 mmol/L. The patient is started on intravenous fluids. What is the next best step in management?

A 5-year-old is brought into the emergency department for trouble breathing. He was at a family picnic playing when his symptoms began. The patient is currently struggling to breathe and has red, warm extremities. The patient has an unknown medical history and his only medications include herbs that his parents give him. His temperature is 99.5°F (37.5°C), pulse is 112/min, blood pressure is 70/40 mmHg, respirations are 18/min, and oxygen saturation is 82% on 100% O2. Which of the following is the best initial step in management?

A 23-year-old man is brought to the emergency department by ambulance following a motor vehicle accident. He was pinned between 2 cars for several hours. The patient has a history of asthma. He uses an albuterol inhaler intermittently. The patient was not the driver, and admits to having a few beers at a party prior to the accident. His vitals in the ambulance are stable. Upon presentation to the emergency department, the patient is immediately brought to the operating room for evaluation and surgical intervention. It is determined that the patient’s right leg has a Gustilo IIIC injury in the mid-shaft of the tibia with a severely comminuted fracture. The patient’s left leg suffered a similar injury but with damage to the peroneal nerve. The anesthesiologist begins to induce anesthesia. Which of the following agents would be contraindicated in this patient?

A 28-year-old soldier is brought back to a military treatment facility 45 minutes after sustaining injuries in a building fire from a mortar attack. He was trapped inside the building for around 20 minutes. On arrival, he is confused and appears uncomfortable. He has a Glasgow Coma Score of 13. His pulse is 113/min, respirations are 18/min, and blood pressure is 108/70 mm Hg. Pulse oximetry on room air shows an oxygen saturation of 96%. Examination shows multiple second-degree burns over the chest and bilateral upper extremities and third-degree burns over the face. There are black sediments seen within the nose and mouth. The lungs are clear to auscultation. Cardiac examination shows no abnormalities. The abdomen is soft and nontender. Intravenous fluid resuscitation is begun. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

A 63-year-old man is brought to the emergency department, 30 minutes after being involved in a high-speed motor vehicle collision. He is obtunded on arrival. He is intubated and mechanical ventilation is begun. The ventilator is set at a FiO2 of 60%, tidal volume of 440 mL, and positive end-expiratory pressure of 4 cm H2O. On the third day of intubation, his temperature is 37.3°C (99.1°F), pulse is 91/min, and blood pressure is 103/60 mm Hg. There are decreased breath sounds over the left lung base. Cardiac examination shows no abnormalities. The abdomen is soft and not distended. Arterial blood gas analysis shows: pH 7.49 pCO2 29 mm Hg pO2 73 mm Hg HCO3- 20 mEq/L O2 saturation 89% Monitoring shows a sudden increase in the plateau airway pressure. An x-ray of the chest shows deepening of the costophrenic angle on the left side. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

An obese 52-year-old man is brought to the emergency department because of increasing shortness of breath for the past 8 hours. Two months ago, he noticed a mass on the right side of his neck and was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. He has smoked two packs of cigarettes daily for 27 years. He drinks two pints of rum daily. He appears ill. He is oriented to person, place, and time. His temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), pulse is 111/min, respirations are 34/min, and blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg. Pulse oximetry on room air shows an oxygen saturation of 89%. Examination shows a 9-cm, tender, firm subglottic mass on the right side of the neck. Cervical lymphadenopathy is present. His breathing is labored and he has audible inspiratory stridor but is able to answer questions. The lungs are clear to auscultation. Arterial blood gas analysis on room air shows: pH 7.36 PCO2 45 mm Hg PO2 74 mm Hg HCO3- 25 mEq/L He has no advanced directive. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

A 24-year-old man is brought to the emergency department 30 minutes after being involved in a high-speed motor vehicle collision in which he was a restrained driver. On arrival, he is alert and oriented. His pulse is 112/min, respirations are 29/min, and blood pressure is 100/60 mm Hg. The pupils are equal and reactive to light. There is a 3-cm laceration over the forehead and multiple bruises over the trunk. The lungs are clear to auscultation. Cardiac examination shows no abnormalities. The abdomen is soft and nontender. The right knee is swollen and tender; range of motion is limited by pain. Infusion of 0.9% saline is begun and intravenous acetaminophen is administered. Two hours later, blood-tinged fluid spontaneously drains from both nostrils, and is made worse by leaning forward. On a piece of gauze, it shows up as a rapidly-expanding clear ring of fluid surrounding blood. Further evaluation of this patient is most likely to show which of the following?