Question

You are assessing a 37-year-old woman who was rescued from an apartment fire. She has a harsh, stridorous, ""brassy""-sounding cough productive of sooty sputum. Her eyebrows and the hair around her face are singed. Respirations = 28, heart rate = 108, and blood pressure = 124/84. You have a 30-minute transport time. Which of the following is the best intervention for this patient?

A) One hundred percent oxygen by nonrebreather mask
B) Sedation and cricothyrotomy
C) A nebulized albuterol treatment
D) Rapid sequence intubation and endotracheal intubation

Answer 1

The best intervention for this patient is rapid sequence intubation and endotracheal intubation. This will secure the patient's airway and provide oxygenation in the case of severe airway compromise from inhalation injury.

Step-by-step explanation:

The best intervention for this patient is Rapid sequence intubation and endotracheal intubation. Given the patient's symptoms of a harsh, stridorous cough with sooty sputum, singed hair, and elevated vital signs, it suggests severe airway compromise from inhalation injury. Intubation will secure the patient's airway and provide oxygenation.