Number of Courses:  One Live 2-Hour Class
Credit Awarded:  2 Hours
Credit Type: Advanced
Accredited: IBSC, CAPCE (F5-VILT), CE Broker (FL & TN), Pennsylvania Bureau of EMS, and Virginia Office of EMS
Enrollment Period:  One year or until completed, whichever comes first
Topics: Advanced Airway

This CE activity is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Pre-Hospital Continuing Education for a total of 2 Paramedic Critical Care CEH.

Are you in need of a few critical care hours to round out your FP-C or CCP-C recertification? Or just want something different to put towards your NRP recertification? This individual Critical Care course will meet those needs.

IBSC Board for Critical Care Transport Paramedic Certification APPROVED!

Want to see when classes are offered, click here DistanceCME Course Calendar

Topics covered in this Live CCTR L1

  • Advanced Airway (2 hr)

If you need more than a few hours, this program is perfect for your continuing education: Critical Care Transport Review. The Critical Care Transport program can also be used for your NREMT Recertification.

Course Overview
Advanced airway management requires thorough assessment, careful preparation, and the ability to adapt when an initial approach is unsuccessful. This comprehensive course reviews airway management in the critical care transport environment, connecting airway anatomy and difficult airway recognition with procedural planning and medication selection. Participants explore approaches ranging from basic airway support to advanced and rescue interventions, emphasizing effective oxygenation and ventilation throughout patient care.

Airway Anatomy & Assessment
Learners review upper airway anatomy and the landmarks essential to airway assessment and advanced procedures. The course examines structured assessment tools, including MOANS, LEMON, RODS, SHORT, and HEAVEN, to identify potential challenges with mask ventilation, intubation, supraglottic airway placement, and surgical airway access. Participants explore how anatomical findings, underlying illness, and the transport environment influence airway planning.

Recognition of the Difficult Airway
This section examines anatomical and physiologic conditions that complicate airway management, including facial trauma, airway contamination, burns, angioedema, and airway infections. Participants review additional considerations for pediatric, geriatric, pregnant, and obese patients, as well as patients with hemodynamic instability. The course emphasizes anticipating difficulty, recognizing the potential for deterioration, and preparing alternative approaches before an intervention begins.

Airway Adjuncts & Management Techniques
Participants review the indications, limitations, and clinical applications of airway adjuncts, including nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal airways, bag-valve-mask ventilation, supraglottic devices, and advanced airway options. The course explores patient positioning, suction techniques, and suction-assisted laryngoscopic airway decontamination (SALAD), reinforcing the importance of basic airway techniques throughout advanced airway management.

Rapid & Delayed Sequence Intubation
Learners examine rapid sequence intubation (RSI), including preparation, preoxygenation, medication administration, tube placement, and placement confirmation. The course also introduces delayed sequence intubation (DSI) and awake intubation approaches, connecting each strategy with patient presentation and anticipated airway challenges. Emphasis includes optimizing oxygenation and hemodynamic status before intubation and understanding the role of apneic oxygenation.

Difficult & Failed Airway Strategies
Participants explore structured approaches to crash, difficult, and failed airways. The course examines how unsuccessful attempts and changes in oxygenation influence the next intervention, including alternative devices, supraglottic airway placement, and cricothyrotomy. Learners review the importance of recognizing failure, requesting assistance, and adapting the airway plan as patient needs and available resources change.

Airway Pharmacology & Post-Intubation Care
This section reviews induction agents, sedatives, neuromuscular blocking agents, and opioid analgesics used during airway management. Participants examine medication actions, benefits, limitations, and patient-specific considerations. The course also addresses waveform capnography for tube placement confirmation and the importance of ongoing sedation, analgesia, and reassessment following intubation.

Clinical Integration
Throughout the course, assessment findings and airway management techniques are connected to the challenges of caring for critically ill or injured patients during transport. Participants strengthen their understanding of how to anticipate complications, select appropriate interventions, and prepare rescue strategies while maintaining a consistent focus on oxygenation and ventilation.

Who Should Take This Course?
This course is designed for paramedics involved in or preparing for critical care transport who are seeking a comprehensive review of advanced airway management. As Lesson 1 of the Critical Care Transport Review series, it provides a foundation for understanding airway assessment, procedural decision-making, and airway support in the transport environment.