What is the purpose of supplemental oxygen in airway management?

Supplemental oxygen plays a crucial role in airway management primarily by increasing the amount of oxygen available to the tissues. When a patient is hypoxic or has difficulty breathing adequately, supplemental oxygen can help restore normal levels of oxygen in the bloodstream, promoting better oxygenation of vital organs and tissues. This is especially important in emergency situations where conditions like respiratory distress, trauma, or other medical emergencies can impair oxygen delivery.

While facilitating ventilation and reducing respiratory rate are important aspects of managing airway problems, they do not directly address the need for increased oxygen at the tissue level. Preventing airway obstruction is a vital component of airway management as well, but supplemental oxygen itself does not physically prevent obstruction; it merely provides additional oxygen when the airway is open. Therefore, the primary purpose of administering supplemental oxygen is to enhance the overall oxygen saturation in the tissues, addressing hypoxia effectively.