Open Sim Lab
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Mucus plugging

Educational use only. Not clinically reviewed

64-year-old man for Artificial-airway secretion assessment and reassessment. About 8 simulated minutes.

What you will practise

  • Support oxygenation and call respiratory-therapy and senior help while assessing abrupt airway resistance.
  • Integrate breath sounds, visible secretions, flow waveform, peak-to-plateau pressure, tube, circuit, gas exchange, and circulation.
  • Record preoxygenated, as-needed artificial-airway suction intent with routine saline avoided.
  • Reassess secretions, graphics, pressures, oxygenation, ventilation, breath sounds, and circulation after suction.
  • Escalate persistent focal collapse for imaging and experienced airway evaluation while keeping alternatives open.

Review and sources

Not clinically reviewed. No clinician has signed this scenario.

  • Blakeman TC, Scott JB, Yoder MA, Capellari E, Strickland SL. AARC Clinical Practice Guidelines: Artificial Airway Suctioning. Respir Care. 2022;67:258-271.
  • Goodfellow LT, Miller AG, Varekojis SM, et al. AARC Clinical Practice Guideline: Patient-Ventilator Assessment. Respir Care. 2024;69:1042-1054.

Every scenario in this module

Open Sim Lab is an educational simulator, not for clinical use. It is not a clinical decision-support tool, not a dosing calculator, and is not validated for any decision affecting a real patient.