Florida State Paramedic Practice Exam

Verifying correct tube placement after intubation is crucial for ensuring that the airway is secure and that the patient receives adequate ventilation. Checking for breath sounds bilaterally is a key assessment step because it allows the paramedic to determine whether the endotracheal tube is correctly positioned in the trachea and not misplaced in the esophagus or in a primary bronchus. When the tube is correctly placed in the trachea, breath sounds should be audible equally on both sides of the chest during auscultation. If breath sounds are absent on one side, it may indicate that the tube has entered a mainstem bronchus or is positioned incorrectly, which could lead to inadequate ventilation and hypoxia. This makes auscultation of breath sounds a direct and reliable method to confirm tube placement. Other methods, like observing the rise and fall of the chest, can suggest adequate ventilation but may not definitively confirm proper tube placement, as chest rise can occur with incorrect placements as well. Monitoring the heart rate and inspecting the oral cavity are also important assessments but do not directly assess whether air is moving adequately through the tube into the lungs.