13.9 : 气道、肤色和辅助肌肉的使用评估

Assessing a patient's airway is crucial in health evaluations and involves checking for obstructions like vomit or foreign objects.

Assess airway patency in conscious patients by asking questions and receiving a verbal response. A normal verbal response indicates a clear airway and adequate breathing, ensuring proper brain perfusion.

Assess breath sounds and note adventitious sounds like wheezing or stridor, and observe if they occur during inspiration, expiration, or rest.

Next, assess the skin color, a crucial indicator of respiratory health.

Cyanosis, a bluish skin and mucus membrane discoloration, occurs when arterial blood oxygen saturation falls below 85%.

Cyanosis is a late sign of respiratory deterioration, often hard to detect under artificial lighting.

In addition, assess the use of accessory muscles for breathing. Normal breathing primarily involves the diaphragm and intercostal muscles.

Observe the patient's neck during inspiration for contraction of the sternocleidomastoid or other accessory muscles, indicating respiratory distress.

Also, observe the shape and expansion of the chest. Increased anteroposterior chest wall diameter and asymmetrical chest wall expansion may indicate severe airflow limitation.