Apr 16, 2024  
2021-2022 College Catalog 
    
2021-2022 College Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

EMT 221 - ALS Airway and Ventilation

2 Credits, 2.50 Contact Hours
1.75 lecture period .75 lab periods

Techniques for establishing and/or maintaining a patient’s airway. Also includes anatomy and physiology, age specific techniques and procedures, introduction to respiratory pharmacology and respiratory drug profiling.

Information: Acceptance into the Paramedic  program is required before enrolling in this course.
  button image Prior Learning and link to PLA webpage

Course Learning Outcomes
  1. Identify the anatomy of the respiratory system at differing ages.
  2. Identify the respiratory system physiology at different ages.
  3. Demonstrate age specific techniques and procedures in order to establish and/or maintain a patient’s airway.
  4. Properly administer respiratory pharmacology for specific conditions and age’s.

Performance Objectives:
  1. Explain the roles and responsibilities of the Advanced Life Support (ALS) Professional within an Emergency Medical Service (EMS) system while establishing and or maintaining a patent airway, ventilation, and providing oxygenation.
  2. Identify and explain the anatomy and physiology of the respiratory system as it relates to the other levels of body organization, pathophysiology, patient assessment, management, and age-related considerations.
  3. List and explain the age-specific indications, contraindications, special considerations, the safe and precise techniques and procedures for opening an airway, suctioning, utilizing basic airway adjuncts, utilizing advanced airway adjuncts, invasive airway and ventilation management, oxygen delivery devices and oxygen therapy, auto-transport ventilators.
  4. List and explain the naming of drugs, classifications, sources, regulations, the profiling, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of respiratory drugs.
  5. Describe and perform the techniques to safely and precisely gain access for medication administration via the respiratory system.
  6. Develop a drug profile for common respiratory emergency drugs and patient-prescribed medications.
  7. Formulate a field impression, develop and implement a treatment plan for a patient requiring airway and ventilation management and oxygen therapy.
  8. Discuss common trends and changes in healthcare, and demonstrate the ability to integrate your role and responsibilities by formulating a field impression and implementing simulated patient care following guidelines, protocols, and standing orders. 

Outline:
  1. Roles and Responsibilities for Airway and Ventilation Management and Oxygen Therapy
    1. Priorities in managing airway, breathing, and circulation
    2. Scopes of practice and standards of care for the Intermediate EMT
    3. Medical direction, guidelines, protocols, and standing orders
    4. Medical-legal aspects in performing invasive procedures
    5. Safety precautions
  2. Anatomy and Physiology
    1. Medical terms (prefixes, suffixes, and common root words) as they relate to the respiratory system
    2. Respiratory system
    3. Pathophysiology and impacts of airway and ventilation compromise on the chemical, cellular, tissue, organ, organ-systems, and organism levels of body organization
    4. Homeostasis and the compensatory mechanisms involving all levels of body organization
    5. Pediatric respiratory considerations
  3. Age Specific Techniques and Procedures
    1. Opening an airway
    2. Suctioning
    3. Utilizing basic airway adjuncts
    4. Utilizing advanced airway adjuncts
    5. Invasive airway and ventilation management
    6. Oxygen delivery devices and oxygen therapy
    7. Auto-transport ventilators
    8. Transtracheal jet insufflation
  4. Introduction to Respiratory Pharmacology
    1. Names, classifications, sources, regulations, forms, and the profiling of drugs
    2. Pharmacokinetics
    3. Pharmacodynamics
  5. Routes of Medication Administration via the Respiratory System
    1. The “rights” and routes of medication administration
    2. The anatomy, indications and contraindications, preparation, techniques, safety and implementation for drugs administered by:
      1. Nasally
      2. Orally
      3. Metered-dose inhalers and small volume nebulizer
      4. Endotracheal tube
  6. Respiratory Drug Profiling
    1. Emergency drug profiles
      1. Name(s) and classification(s)
      2. Dosage forms, packaging, and standard supply
      3. Mechanism(s) of action, distribution, metabolism, elimination and common organ-systems effects
      4. Desired and undesired effects
      5. Indications, contraindications, and adverse reactions for field use
      6. Age-dependent doses and routes of administration
      7. Route and health-dependent onset, half-life, peak, and duration of drug action
      8. Medication preparation
      9. Special considerations
    2. Profiles of patient-prescribed medications
    3. Profiles of homeopathic medications
  7. Medication Preparation and Administration
    1. Pharmacology mathematics
    2. Drug administration
  8. Integration
    1. Current trends and changes
    2. Demonstration of skills and knowledge competencies


Effective Term:
Full Academic Year 2021/2022