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Moving and positioning a patient with an artificial airway

Definition

Patients who are unable to maintain their own safe airway, whether unconscious or not, will require an artificial airway to support their respiratory system; the choice of airway will depend on individual need and presentation.
The different airways include:
  • nasal
  • endotracheal
  • tracheostomy (see Figures 7.8 and 7.9).
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Figure 7.8  A tracheostomy tube in situ. Source: Reproduced from Munir and Clarke ([77]). © 2013 Nazia Munir and Ray Clarke. Published 2013 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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Figure 7.9  A patient with an artificial airway.
For more detailed information regarding these and other specific care issues and including anatomy and physiology, see Chapter c12: Respiratory care, CPR and blood transfusion.
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