CURRENT CONCEPTS IN AIRWAY MANAGEMENT FOR CARDIOPULMONARY-RESUSCITATION

Objective: To describe the methods of maintaining airway patency for o xygenation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) that do not requ ire expertise in mask ventilation or endotracheal intubation by direct laryngoscopy, Design: A review of rescue breathing and newer methods of providing airway patency is provided, Results: Airway patency durin g CPR is often difficult to achieve, Mask ventilation predisposes to h ypoventilation and aspiration pneumonitis, Endotracheal intubation by direct laryngoscopy is the preferred method of maintaining airway pate ncy for CPR. Alternative techniques for airway management include endo tracheal intubation by lighted stylet, esophageal tracheal Combitube, laryngeal mask airway, and transtracheal ventilation, These methods ar e recommended by the American Heart Association and the American Socie ty of Anesthesiologists. They have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for maintenance of airway patency; they are easy to lea rn, effective, and applicable to CPR, Advantages and disadvantages of each technique may indicate or contraindicate one method over another in specific circumstances, Conclusion: When CPR is compromised by airw ay obstruction that remains unresponsive to traditional techniques, us ing alternative methods is appropriate, The techniques selected must b e based on individual familiarity and expertise.