Airway

Treating respiratory failure

Labored respirations with peripheral cyanosis and altered mental status are failure until proven otherwise. Airway and breathing interventions precede gathering secondary vital signs—a pulse rate can wait when oxygenation is failing.

Assist ventilations with a bag-valve mask (with an adjunct per protocol). A non-rebreather alone cannot replace lost tidal volume. Suction only when you hear gurgling or see fluid; this scenario is about inadequate ventilation, not upper-airway flooding.