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Optimising Lifelines

airway management airwaylifeline airwayoptimisation lifelines vortex approach Jan 29, 2024

Lifelines are great, but how do we make them better? ⭐️

Sometimes lifelines don’t work as perfectly as we intend and we need to try something different to give our “best attempt” at providing oxygen via that lifeline. The Vortex Approach refers to this as “lifeline optimisation”. 🛟

Here’s our quick guide to optimising the 3 lifelines and getting back to the green zone. ✅

There are 4 ways to optimise a lifeline
1️⃣ Size/type
2️⃣ Adjuncts
3️⃣ Positioning
4️⃣ Muscle relaxation

👉 Bag-Mask Ventilation (BMV)
Requires 2 things, an effective seal and a patient airway!
Ways to optimise BMV:
🔺Appropriate size and type of mask (does the cuff need inflation?)
🔺Adjuncts (Guedel or nasopharyngeal airway)
🔺Patient positioning, head and neck (also, are the dentures in?)
🔺Jaw thrust and 2 handed grip (ask, “can I take the bag so you can use both hands?”)
🔺 Is the patient paralysed?”

👉 Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA)
🔺Appropriate size/type
🔺Patient positioning, head and neck extension to aid entrance, lip and tongue out of the way
🔺Paralysis

👉 Endotracheal Tube (ETT)
🔺Size/type of laryngoscope and ETT
🔺Patient positioning and removal of dentures
🔺Cricoid pressure or BURP
🔺Use of bougie or stylet
🔺Paralysis

So there you have it, our guide to lifeline optimisation! Be sure to check out our Airway Rescue Live Series for more hot tips from Dr Jack. 👊✅

Build knowledge ✅
Improve safety ✅

Ref: https://vortexapproach.org/besteffort

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