Process of Life

Process of Life

Introduction
Air goes in and out, blood goes round and round, and any deviation is considered a bad thing.   Oxygen is good, blue is bad.   ABC is more than a group of random letters.   Airway first, breathing second, circulation third.   These are just a few of the clever sayings you will come across while working in the various health care fields.   However, these sayings are more than just clever.   They are two things: 1) rules 2) description of a group of processes.   Airway management, ventilation, respiration, and oxygenation are the processes which inspired such sayings.   The body relies on each of these processes to maintain homeostasis, but if one process should fail then trouble ensues and if left uncorrected, death.   Being able to quickly assess, treat, and correct a failure in these processes is key to saving a patient and minimizing tissue damage.

Airway Management and Ventilation
Bledsoe (2009, pg. 533, ¶ 1) states that “airway management and ventilation are the first and most critical steps in the initial assessment of every patient.”   Since ventilation is described as the “mechanical process that moves air into and out of the longs” (Bledsoe, 2009, pg. 541), it is safe to say that airway management and ventilation go hand-in-hand.   Without a properly maintained airway, it is impossible for the body to ventilate.
During a time of homeostasis, the body is able to properly maintain the upper and lower portions of the airway with little to no effort.   However, there are times when this is not the case and swift and accurate intervention is needed.   Barker (2008, ¶ 1) says “basic airway management is most often needed because of inadequate ventilation, which can result from impaired respiratory effort or airway obstruction.   Basic airway interventions may also be needed to manage the patient with inadequate oxygenation and during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.   Bag-mask ventilation is the cornerstone of basic airway management.”...