Final answer:
An EMT-B may insert an I-Gel for patients experiencing respiratory or cardiac arrest and for unresponsive head injury patients. For patients with respiratory distress due to COPD, less invasive measures are preferred.
Step-by-step explanation:
An EMT-B (Emergency Medical Technician - Basic) is trained to provide basic emergency medical care. One of the skills an EMT-B may be trained to perform includes airway management, which can involve the insertion of an I-Gel airway device. The I-Gel is a supraglottic airway device used in emergency situations to maintain an open airway when a patient is unable to do so on their own.
An EMT-B may insert an I-Gel for patients experiencing a respiratory arrest or a cardiac arrest, where the patient is unable to breathe or is in need of artificial ventilation as part of advanced airway management. It is also appropriate for use in an unresponsive head injury patient who cannot protect their own airway. However, in a patient with respiratory distress due to COPD, non-invasive options like supplemental oxygen or a CPAP device are generally preferred as these patients are typically still breathing spontaneously, although with difficulty.