Skip to airway content Airway of the MonthRead the patient. Rescue the airway. Run the room.

Rescue pathway

Hypoxia: obstruction

Tube obstruction and bronchospasm are common and fixable.

See obstruction waveformScooped expiratory flow.Check auto-PEEPFlow not returning to baseline.

Look for

  • Kink, biting, small ETT, mucus plug, blood, vomit, secretions.
  • Bronchospasm/asthma/COPD.
  • Suction catheter should pass; inability to pass suggests obstruction or kink.

Clinical review / use limits

Authored by: Airway of the Month education team. Last reviewed: July 2026. Audience: EM learners, faculty, EMS, RT, simulation educators, and airway teams.

This is an educational cognitive-aid scaffold, not a bedside order set. Verify medications, ventilator changes, pediatric dosing, and procedures against local ED, ICU, anesthesia, pharmacy, RT, EMS, and pediatric policies.

Resources · Editorial policy · ACEP intubation policy · AARC 2024 ventilator assessment guideline · ATS 2024 ARDS guideline update

About this resource
Created by: Andrew Pirotte, MD; Kyle Brown, MD; Reba Hodge, MD; Amanda Vanderwerf, PharmD, BCEMP; Morgan Kimball, PharmD, BCEMP; Joshua Mohess Clinical review: Emergency medicine faculty review completed. Medication content reviewed by Amanda Vanderwerf, PharmD, BCEMP, and Morgan Kimball, PharmD, BCEMP. Last reviewed: 2026-07-23 Next scheduled review: 2027-01-23 Designed for: EM residents, emergency physicians, EMS clinicians, airway educators, and simulation faculty Important: Educational resource and cognitive-aid guide only; not a bedside order set or substitute for local protocol, medical direction, or clinical judgment. Website contact: [email protected]