title: Airway management--when and how?
abstract: Keeping the airway patent and protected is the crucial first step in resuscitation of collapsed patients. The patency of the airway can be maintained by head tilt, chin lift and jaw thrust, with or without the assistance of airway adjunct, for example oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal airways. Before securing definitive airway by endotracheal intubation, the degree of difficulty for intubation can be predicted using Mallampati, Cormack and Lehane classification. Laryngeal mask airway may have a role in resuscitation. A comprehensive training program must be in place to improve the success rate of the laryngeal mask airway insertion and reduce the complication rate associated with the placement of this device. In order to ensure survival of collapsed patients, all medical and nursing staff must know when and how to manage the airways. "Do Not Resuscitate" orders should be written for terminally ill patients to reduce futile resuscitation.
authors.affiliation: Aneasthesia and Surgical Intensive Care, Singapore General Hospital.
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000295:instrumentation; D017214:Laryngeal Masks; D018447:Medical Futility; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure; D016414:Resuscitation Orders; D019452:Terminally Ill