Question

A client is brought to the emergency department awake and alert following a fall from a ladder from a height of 4.6 meters (15 ft). During an initial assessment, the client becomes unresponsive and stops breathing. Which method should the nurse use to open the airway?

a) Head tilt-chin lift
b) Jaw thrust
c) Tongue-jaw lift
d) None; client needs emergency intubation

Answer 1

A nurse should use the jaw thrust method to open the airway of an unresponsive client, but if unsuccessful, emergency intubation may be necessary to maintain an open airway.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a client who has fallen and is initially awake and alert becomes unresponsive and stops breathing, the nurse should use the jaw thrust method to open the airway if a spinal injury is suspected. The head tilt-chin lift method is used in the absence of suspected spinal injuries. However, if these maneuvers do not open the airway or if the person cannot breathe by themselves, emergency intubation may be required to maintain an open airway and enable breathing.

Emergency intubation is a procedure in which a tube is placed into the trachea to maintain an open airway to the lungs and effectively bypass any obstruction. It's a critical step in advanced airway management, especially in emergency settings where the patient's breathing is compromised.