Airway Crisis and Respiratory Failure
Recognise a threatened airway and failing ventilation or oxygenation, then escalate support in a controlled sequence.
How to prepare for FRCEM SBA
Protect the full Emergency Medicine curriculum, prioritise the published item counts and practise the decisions expected of a clinician approaching independent practice.
Core concepts
Concept 1
Define the anatomical or physiological problem, reversibility, anticipated difficulty and the safest escalation plan.
Exam cue: Act on obstruction, exhaustion, severe hypoxaemia, worsening hypercapnia, reduced consciousness and failed non-invasive support.
Concept 2
Optimise positioning, oxygenation and ventilation, call skilled help early and prepare primary, rescue and failed-airway strategies.
Exam cue: Use waveform capnography, blood gases, bedside imaging and repeated clinical assessment without delaying airway or breathing rescue.
Risk pitfalls and guardrails
Persisting with a failing technique without declaring failure, changing the plan or preparing rescue oxygenation.
Guardrail: Do not select an option because it is technically true; select the one that best fits the patient's current physiology, evidence, urgency and decision point.
Choosing an answer that is generally true but does not fit the patient's physiology, urgency, evidence or current decision point.
Guardrail: Do not select an option because it is technically true; select the one that best fits the patient's current physiology, evidence, urgency and decision point.
Memory anchors
What frames decisions in airway crisis and respiratory failure?
Define the anatomical or physiological problem, reversibility, anticipated difficulty and the safest escalation plan.
Which airway crisis and respiratory failure findings change urgency?
Act on obstruction, exhaustion, severe hypoxaemia, worsening hypercapnia, reduced consciousness and failed non-invasive support.
How should investigation be planned in airway crisis and respiratory failure?
Use waveform capnography, blood gases, bedside imaging and repeated clinical assessment without delaying airway or breathing rescue.
What makes management complete in airway crisis and respiratory failure?
Optimise positioning, oxygenation and ventilation, call skilled help early and prepare primary, rescue and failed-airway strategies.
What common error should be avoided in airway crisis and respiratory failure?
Persisting with a failing technique without declaring failure, changing the plan or preparing rescue oxygenation.
Checkpoint rule
Do the check-up only after you can summarize each concept in one sentence and identify one dangerous pitfall from memory.
Knowledge Check (after reading)
Short check-up to confirm understanding of this module.
Check-up Questions
A 64-year-old man with severe facial burns needs urgent tracheal intubation. The mouth opening is limited and laryngeal oedema is anticipated. Which preparation is most important?
A 52-year-old woman with obesity and severe pneumonia needs rapid sequence induction. She desaturates quickly when supine. Which preoxygenation technique is most appropriate?
Answer all questions to submit.
Next step personalized recommendations
Continue learning
Move forward only after this module is stable.
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