Difficult Airway Management Case 2

1. Question

While enjoying a substantial lunch, a 66-year-old, previously well woman, becomes grey and clammy and collapses to the floor.

On arrival in the resuscitation room she is unconcious with a partially obstructed airway. This is helped with simple airway manoeuvres and some suctioning. You decide to proceed with a Rapid Sequence Intubation to protect the airway and facilitate investigation as to the cause of her collapse. Despite no obvious indicators of difficulty at laryngoscopy you are unable to view more than the tip of the epiglottis. Her saturations drop to 92%.

What should you do?

2. Question

Unfortunately, BVM ventilation – despite a two handed technique and oral airway – proves very difficult and her saturations drop further to about 83%.

What do you do?

3. Question

Attempts at insertion of an LMA are unsuccessful and her saturations have now dropped to 70%.

What do you do?