Airway Patency

Fig.1 Intubation with a pillow under the patient’s head to give a better view of the cords

In the absence of concerns regarding an unstable c-spine injury, a pillow placed under the head and the patient positioned with neck flexed and head extended provides optimal conditions for intubation.

If an airway cannot be maintained by simple measures or is immediately threatened, for example by vomiting or pulmonary oedema, prompt intubation is indicated. If a patent airway can be maintained, the urgency of intubation depends on the patient’s ventilatory status.

Awake patients with appropriate respiratory effort and able to maintain their airway can be monitored without intubation. Those with suboptimal or no respiratory effort should be intubated (if not done already during the arrest). [2]