Observing the airway
You can tell a lot about an airway by looking and listening. If the casualty is speaking normally to you, then they have a good (patent) open airway and you can safely move on to B - Breathing. If they are not talking, however, listening to the noises coming from their mouth can be useful.
| Noise | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| Normal quiet breathing | Airway is “open” |
| Gurgling | Partially obstructed by liquid, e.g. blood or vomit |
| Snoring | Partially obstructed by soft tissues that block the airway |
| High pitched wheezing on breathing in (called ‘stridor’) | Partially obstructed by inhaled foreign body, e.g. tooth, chewing gum or injury to airway/ larynx |
| No noise | Completely obstructed airway or is not breathing. Move on to opening the airway |
Airway noises and their meanings
Dr Andrew Smith demonstrates the importance of establishing a clear airway