Which situation may impair a patient’s ability to maintain ventilatory function and require airway assistance?

• A. The patient may require assistance to maintain a patent airway because spontaneous ventilations may be inadequate.
• B. The patient can maintain airway without assistance and ventilations are adequate.
• C. Oxygen alone is always sufficient to maintain ventilation.
• D. Ventilatory function is not a concern in emergency care.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that airway and breathing must be maintained, and if a patient’s own breathing isn’t enough to move air and remove CO2, you need to provide airway support and assist ventilation. When spontaneous ventilations are inadequate, simply relying on oxygen won’t keep the patient ventilated; you must open or secure the airway and deliver breaths yourself, using methods like a bag-valve-mask device or airway adjuncts as needed. Oxygen therapy helps with oxygen levels, but it doesn’t fix problems with ventilation or airway patency. In contrast, if the patient can maintain a clear airway and ventilations are adequate, no airway assistance is required. And in emergency care you always consider ventilatory function, since it can deteriorate rapidly.