title: Airway and ventilation management.
abstract: Airway management is fundamental to ACLS. Success with any airway device relies as much on the operator's experience and skill as on the device itself. The purpose of using an airway device is to provide a patent route for ventilating the lungs and to protect against pulmonary aspiration. Training should emphasize the importance of confirming that the airway device is positioned correctly and that the lungs can be ventilated effectively. If airway intervention is to have a positive effect on outcome, the choice of airway device is less important than thorough training, ongoing experience and review, and close attention to complications. Regardless of whether a provider chooses to use the LMA, the combitube, or the tracheal tube, providers must be familiar with more than one method of airway management because of the possibility of failure to insert or ventilate with their primary airway device of choice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Mineral Springs Hospital, Banff, Alberta, Canada. michael.shuster@telusplanet.net
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shuster
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nolan
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Barnes
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000628:therapy*; D000403:Airway Resistance; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000379:methods*; D017214:Laryngeal Masks; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen