Specialty Hub
Airway Management
The whole airway arc — assess the difficult airway, set up and assist the intubation, confirm with capnography, suction and maintain the tube, and extubate safely — backed by the adjunct, equipment, and waveform references that keep it straight.
Guides
From assessing the airway to liberating it.
Endotracheal Intubation
The RT's role in endotracheal intubation — preparation and equipment, preoxygenation, assisting the laryngoscopy, gold-standard tube confirmation with waveform capnography, securing, and the immediate post-intubation checks.
Rapid Sequence Intubation (RSI)
The seven Ps of rapid sequence intubation — preparation through post-intubation management — with the induction agents and paralytics, the RT's preoxygenation and confirmation role, and the common pitfalls.
Airway Suctioning
Endotracheal and tracheostomy suctioning the right way — open vs closed systems, suctioning only when indicated, catheter size and pressure limits, hyperoxygenation, and the complications to anticipate.
Extubation & Post-Extubation Airway Care
The airway side of extubation — the cuff-leak test, the extubation procedure, post-extubation stridor and laryngeal edema, racemic epinephrine, and when reintubation or NIV is the right call.
Difficult Airway Assessment
Predicting and preparing for the difficult airway — the LEMON and 3-3-2 assessment, Mallampati classes, the mask and supraglottic difficulty mnemonics, and where video laryngoscopy and rescue devices fit.
Interactive Practice
Practice Tools
Predicted body weight for tube and vent sizing, the rapid-shallow index behind extubation calls, and the mechanics that follow intubation.
Clinical References
Artificial airways, tracheostomy care, and the intubation setup at a glance.
Artificial Airways Reference
A quick reference to artificial airways — oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal airways, supraglottic devices, endotracheal tubes, and tracheostomies — with sizing, cuff-pressure targets, and endotracheal tube confirmation.
Tracheostomy Care Reference
A reference for tracheostomy care — tube anatomy and types, routine inner-cannula and stoma care, humidification, and the emergency management of decannulation, obstruction, and bleeding.
Intubation Equipment & Setup
A pre-intubation setup reference — the SOAP-ME checklist, endotracheal tube sizes and depths for adults and children, laryngoscope blade types, and the backup and rescue devices to have ready.
Quick Charts
Airway adjuncts and capnography waveforms side by side.
Airway Adjuncts Comparison Chart
Oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal airways, supraglottic devices, and the endotracheal tube side by side — when to use each, the level of consciousness tolerated, aspiration protection, and how each is sized or placed.
Capnography Waveform Patterns Chart
The capnography waveforms RTs must recognize — the normal rectangular trace, the obstructive shark-fin, a flat tracing, the curare cleft, and sudden loss — with what each appearance means and the action it prompts.
Suggested Learning Path
From the airway assessment to a safe extubation, in order.
Related Specialties
Airway management connects directly to these areas.