Assignment task: You are a respiratory therapist working in a 45 bed critical access hospital in a rural area, you were called to a rapid response on a 39-year-old obese male patient who was eating their dinner and suddenly became short of breath and began coughing heavily. You arrive within two minutes of the call, by the time you arrive to the patient's room he is grasping his hands around his neck and no longer making any sounds. Within moments his skin begins turning red and his lips begin having a bluish tint to them. The nurse's aid in the room seems visibly rattled and does not know what to do.
You do not have any additional information on this patient as it was a rapid response and upon arrival you did not have time to gather information.
Questions to answer on the discussion board:
- What would your initial action with this patient be and why? Describe the proper technique of any action taken.
- If your action was successful and the patient regained patency of his airway, what would your next steps be and what would you further assess?
- If your action was not successful, and the patient became unconscious, what would your next steps of action be? Be specific in your prescription.
- In the case that your attempts were unsuccessful, what equipment would you need to ensure you had on hand and why? Be specific on each piece of equipment and its purpose.
- With an unconscious patient, would the OPA or NPA likely be indicated and why? What about for this specific patient?
- What, if any, special precautions/actions need to be considered with this patient?
- After successfully resuscitating this patient, what would the next step be?
- Is there any additional information you want to see on this patient?