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Page 234 Airway Management 3140 DEFINITION: Facilitation of patency of air passages ACTIVITIES: Open the airway, using the chin lift or jaw thrust technique, as appropriate Position patient to maximize ventilation potential Identify patient requiring actual/potential airway insertion Insert oral or nasopharyngeal airway, as appropriate Perform chest physical therapy, as appropriate Remove secretions by encouraging coughing or suctioning Encourage slow, deep breathing; turning; and coughing Instruct how to cough effectively Assist with incentive spirometer, as appropriate Auscultate breath sounds, noting areas of decreased or absent ventilation and presence of adventitious sounds Perform endotracheal or nasotracheal suctioning, as appropriate Administer bronchodilators, as appropriate Teach patient how to use prescribed inhalers, as appropriate Administer aerosol treatments, as appropriate Administer ultrasonic nebulizer treatments, as appropriate Administer humidified air or oxygen, as appropriate Regulate fluid intake to optimize fluid balance Position to alleviate dyspnea Monitor respiratory and oxygenation status, as appropriate BACKGROUND READINGS: Ahrens, T.S. (1993). Respiratory disorders. In M.R. Kinney, D.R. Packa, & S.B. Dunbar (Eds.), AACN's Clinical Reference for Critical-Care Nursing (pp. 701-740). St. Louis: Mosby. Suddarth, D. (1991). The Lippincott manual of nursing practice (5th ed.) (pp. 230-246). Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott. Thelan, L.A., & Urden, L.D. (1993). Critical care nursing: Diagnosis and management (2nd ed.). St. Louis: Mosby. Titler, M.G., & Jones, G. (1992). Airway management. In G.M. Bulechek & J.C. McCloskey (Eds.), Nursing Interventions: Essential Nursing Treatments, (2nd ed.) (pp. 512-530). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders. Figure 7.1 Airway management, NIC. Helping the patient to breathe, including using breathing technologies and medications. Source: NIC, second edition.
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