Question

You are responding to an unresponsive male and upon your arrival the patient is not breathing. You suction vomitus from the airway, place an OPA, and begin positive pressure ventilations. Which condition will the patient likely suffer from?

Answer 1

The unresponsive patient no longer breathing and who required suctioning and ventilation might suffer from conditions like pneumonia, central sleep apnea, or face complications from positive pressure ventilation such as physiological shunts or barotrauma.

Step-by-step explanation:

A patient who has been found unresponsive and not breathing with vomitus in the airway, who then receives suctioning of the airway, placement of an OPA (oropharyngeal airway), and positive pressure ventilations, might suffer from several conditions. One potential consequence could be pneumonia, particularly if aspiration of vomitus into the lungs occurred before the airway was secured. Another possibility is central sleep apnea, a condition where the brain fails to properly regulate breathing. Lastly, the patient might experience a physiological shunt if an infection or edema has developed, affecting gas exchange efficiency due to a mismatch in ventilation and perfusion (V/Q mismatch).

Moreover, the patient could suffer from hypoxemia, similar to the case described with Barbara. Given that positive pressure ventilations are being provided, it is critical to monitor for potential complications like barotrauma or a worsening V/Q mismatch due to overdistension of the lungs or introduction of air into the pleural space.