In an unconscious patient the tongue may fall against oropharynx and block the airway, and this will impair ventilation. Airway adjuncts such as the OPA are used to maintain an open airway and to facilitate ventilation.
Category Archives: All Videos
Bag Mask Ventilation
Bag-mask ventilation (BMV) is a vital skill for all health practitioners with responsibility for resuscitation. BMV refers to the use of a self-inflating bag and resuscitation mask to deliver positive pressure ventilation to an apnoeic or hypoventilating patient.
Continuous Cardiac Monitoring
Continuous cardiac monitoring records the electrical activity of the heart as an electrocardiogram and is indicated for identification of potentially lethal dysrhythmias.
Neurological Observations
Testing the Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) and pupils function form part of a basic neurological screen. Testing pupils for reactivity to light is a combination of testing the sensory function of cranial nerve II and the motor function of cranial nerve III.
Injection Preparation
The preparation of medications for injection is a skill that requires great care from the relevant health professional. Checking that the medication order is current and legal and that the five rights are adhered to prior to administration is essential to ensure the patient is kept safe.
Intramuscular Injection
Some medications are delivered by intramuscular injection. Careful site selection is an important safety consideration.
Subcutaneous Injection
Some medications are delivered by subcutaneous injection. Site rotation is a important consideration. Checking that the medication order is current and legal and that the five rights are adhered to prior to administration is essential to ensure the patient is kept safe.
Oral Medication
The preparation and administration of oral medications is a skill that requires great care from the relevant health professional. Checking that the medication order is current and legal and that the five rights are adhered to prior to administration is essential to ensure patient is kept safe.
Sublingual Medication
Sublingual medications are often prescribed to be administered on a “PRN”/“as required” basis. Ensure correct clinical indication by carefully assessing the patient and checking medication administration orders. Double check with second clinician if indicated by facility policy.
Personal Protective Equipment
Personal protective equipment is anything used by the health professional to minimise the risk of exposure to infectious agents. Alternatively the patient with low immunity needs to be protected against external transmission of infection. Specialised clothing (gown) and equipment (gloves, mask, goggles) provide a barrier between potentially infectious agents contained in body fluids, airborne droplets or spray contamination of the eyes and the person.
Hand Disinfection
Hand hygiene is fundamental to patient safety. All health practitioners are expected to practice careful hand hygiene before and after touching a patient, before and after a procedure and after touching a patient’s surroundings.
Wound Care using Aseptic Technique
Effective wound management relies on thorough assessment and management of the wound including identification of stages of healing, assessment of the patient/client’s general condition, selection of appropriate wound dressings and protection against introduction of organisms from a secondary environment. The technique for wound care described here is based on the principles of the wound field concept.
Twelve-Lead ECG
Twelve lead electrocardiograms are used in the identification of potentially lethal myocardial ischaemia, injury or dysrhythmias. To guarantee diagnostic quality the health practitioner must ensure the correct placement and conductivity of the electrodes.
Blood Glucose Level Measurement
Measuring blood glucose levels is a common activity performed by health professionals. Blood glucose levels commonly change with illness and depending on the level can have serious affects on patients.
Oxygen Administration
Oxygen therapy is a common intervention for the deteriorating patient. Careful patient assessment and management of the deteriorating patient is one of the Australian National and Quality Health Service Standards developed by the Australian Commission on Quality and Safety in Health care in 2011.
Oxygen Saturation
Approximately 70-80% adverse events are preceded by derangements in vital signs for up to 12 hours with minimal or no intervention from clinicians. This emphasises the need for health professionals to ensure patient safety by careful patient assessment. Recognition and managing the deteriorating patient is one of the Australian National and Quality Health Service Standards developed by the Australian Commission on Quality and Safety in Health care in 2011.
Vital Signs
Approximately 70-80% adverse events are preceded by derangements in vital signs for up to 12 hours with minimal or no intervention from clinicians. This emphasises the need for health professionals to ensure patient safety by careful patient assessment. Recognition and managing the deteriorating patient is one of the Australian National and Quality Health Service Standards developed by the Australian Commission on Quality and Safety in Health care in 2011.
Pulse Rate
Approximately 70-80% adverse events are preceded by derangements in vital signs for up to 12 hours with minimal or no intervention from clinicians. This emphasises the need for health professionals to ensure patient safety by careful patient assessment. Recognition and managing the deteriorating patient is one of the Australian National and Quality Health Service Standards developed by the Australian Commission on Quality and Safety in Health care in 2011.
Laryngeal Mask Airway
Insertion of an LMA is reserved for the airway management of the unconscious patient without a gag reflex and who requires assisted ventilation.
Cervical Spine Immobilisation
Immobilisation of the cervical spine is performed when clinical findings or mechanism of injury leads to a suspicion of injury to the vertebral column or spinal cord. Cervical spine immobilisation is a component of the full immobilisation of the vertebral column.
Intravenous Injection
The giving of an intravenous injection is a skill that requires great care from the relevant health professional. Careful checking of the medication that has been ordered and the cannula site into which the medication is to be injected are essential to maintain patient safety.
Nasopharyngeal Airway
A nasopharyngeal airway (NPA) is used to assist ventilation in an unresponsive patient or to augment airway maintenance with an OPA.
Oropharyngeal Suction
The unconscious victim or the patient with impaired muscle tone is unable to swallow or clear foreign matter from their airway. In this situation the upper airway may become obstructed by foreign materials, regurgitated material, blood or saliva, and suctioning the airway will be required to prevent aspiration and associated risk of aspiration pneumonia.
Peripheral Venous Cannulation
Peripheral venous cannulation is a technique which is used by health care professionals to place a cannula inside a vein for the purpose of providing venous access for a short period of time. Cannulation may be used for venous access in an emergency, therapeutic requirements or diagnostic purposes.
CPR and Defibrillation
All health professionals must be able to perform effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Evidence has shown that the interventions that have the greatest success in restoring cardiac output in cardiac arrest are good quality CPR and early defibrillation.
Taking a Blood Pressure using an Aneroid Sphygmomanometer
The recording of a manual blood pressure is an essential skill to master in order to make critical decisions on a patients perfusion status in response to illness, injury or treatment. In patients with large arms, the normal-sized cuff will overestimate the blood pressure and therefore a large cuff must be used. The sizing guide printed on the BP cuff must be adhered to.
Triple Airway Manoeuvre
The triple airway manoeuvre is the combination of head extension, mouth opening and jaw thrust, and is considered to be the most effective method for opening the airway. This method provides a more patent airway than extension of the head without jaw thrust,and is the recommended position for insertion of the LMA.
Chest Auscultation
Auscultation of the chest via a stethoscope has been an integral part of respiratory examination for the last 200 years.
Respiratory Rate Measurement
Respiratory rate is an important predictor of serious adverse events and as such careful monitoring of rate rhythm and ease of breathing is essential. Respirations are measured in such a way as to not draw the patient’s attention to the procedure.
Taking a Tympanic Temperature
Measurement of body temperature is commonly measured through use of a tympanic thermometer. Tympanic thermometers are commonly available in clinical settings and must be used according to manufacturer’s instructions.