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Airway situation
Facial Trauma Airway
Facial trauma airways fail from blood, distorted anatomy, hypoxia, and delayed rescue transition.
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Clinical-use limit: Educational resource and cognitive-aid guide only; not a bedside order set or substitute for local protocol, medical direction, or clinical judgment.
Before intubation
- Stage two suctions, blood products/resuscitation, C-spine strategy, and surgical airway kit.
- Plan for anatomy distortion and failed view; assign roles and backup operator.
- Consider whether oral, nasal, or surgical approach is contraindicated/appropriate based on injury.
During intubation
- Suction aggressively and maintain oxygenation between attempts.
- Do not keep repeating the same failed view in a contaminated airway.
- Move early to rescue oxygenation or front-of-neck access when oxygenation fails.
After intubation
- Secure tube carefully; reassess after movement/CT/transport.
- Continue hemorrhage control and trauma pathway.
- Communicate injury pattern and airway difficulty.
Common pitfalls
- Single suction only.
- Delayed cric in cannot oxygenate/cannot intubate.
- Tube dislodgement during trauma movement.