What is the Difference Between Partial and Complete Airway Obstruction

Partial and complete airway obstruction are two types of airway obstructions that can cause breathing difficulties and anxiety in a person. The airway is a complex system of tubes that transmits inhaled air or oxygen from the nose and mouth into the lungs. An airway obstruction is a blockage in any part of the airway. Both partial and complete airway obstruction may prevent air from getting into the lungs. It can be a minor or life-threatening emergency and requires immediate medical attention.

The key difference between partial and complete airway obstruction is the amount of air that passes through the airway. Partial airway obstructions allow some air to pass through the airways, while complete airway obstructions do not allow any air to pass through the airways.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Partial Airway Obstruction
3. What is Complete Airway Obstruction
4. Similarities – Partial and Complete Airway Obstruction
5. Partial vs Complete Airway Obstruction in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Partial vs Complete Airway Obstruction
7. FAQ – Partial and Complete Airway Obstruction

What is Partial Airway Obstruction?

Partial airway obstruction occurs when the airway is blocked or narrowed but not completely closed. This reduces airflow and can lead to difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and anxiety. Partial airway obstruction can be caused by food, swallowing foreign objects, laughing or crying while eating/ drinking.

Partial obstruction can be diagnosed through physical examination and imaging tests such as X-rays. Furthermore, treatment of a partial obstruction includes giving first aid to assess the person, encouraging the person to relax and take deep breaths, and urging the person to try and cough up the obstruction. If the obstruction is not expelled, it’s best to call an ambulance immediately.

Figure 01: Airway Obstruction

What is Complete Airway Obstruction?

Complete airway obstruction occurs when the airway is entirely blocked, preventing any airflow to or from the lungs. The signs and symptoms of this condition include being unable to cry, talk, breathe, or cough, grasping the throat, becoming severely anxious or agitated, turning blue or dusky in color, and passing out. It can be caused by allergic reactions, trauma to the airway from an accident, breathing in a large amount of smoke from a fire, vocal cord issues, viral infections, and bacterial infections. Complete airway obstruction can be life-threatening if not dealt with quickly. Getting medical help right away is important to remove the blockage and restore normal breathing.

Complete airway obstruction can be diagnosed through physical examination, medical history, blood tests, and imaging tests like X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs. Furthermore, treatment options for complete airway obstruction include following the basic first aid plan to assess the person, leaning the person forward and bending them over at the waist, giving up to five hard blows between the shoulder blades while pausing between each blow to see if the obstruction has been dislodged, administering up to five chest thrusts to the middle of the chest to try and expel the obstruction, and performing CPR while calling an ambulance immediately.

Similarities Between Partial and Complete Airway Obstruction

1. Partial and complete airway obstruction are two different types of airway obstructions.
2. Both conditions can cause breathing difficulties and anxieties in a person.
3. They can be treated with first aid and assisted breathing therapy.

Difference Between Partial and Complete Airway Obstruction

Definition

1. Partial airway obstruction occurs when the airway is blocked or narrowed but not completely closed.
2. Complete airway obstruction occurs when the airway is entirely blocked, preventing any airflow to or from the lungs.

Breathing

1. In partial airway obstruction, the affected person can breathe.
2. In complete airway obstruction, the affected person cannot breathe.

Severity

1. Partial airway obstruction is less severe than complete airway obstruction.
2. Complete airway obstruction is a medical emergency that can quickly become life-threatening, as it leads to a risk of suffocation if not promptly addressed.

Causes

1. Partial airway obstruction can be caused by food, laughing or crying when eating or drinking, swallowing foreign objects.
2. Complete airway obstruction can be caused by allergic reactions, vocal cord issues, trauma to the airway from an accident, breathing in a large amount of smoke from a fire, and infections.

Signs and Symptoms

1. The signs and symptoms of partial airway obstruction include struggling for air with noisy breathing, coughing or making a loud croaking or rasping sound, and appearing upset, nervous, or worried.
2. The signs and symptoms of complete airway obstruction include being unable to cough, breathe, or speak; no air coming from their mouth; the spaces between the ribs and above the chest moving inwards as they try to breathe; and holding the throat with one or both hands.

Diagnosis

1. Partial airway obstruction can be diagnosed with physical examination and imaging tests such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs.
2. Complete airway obstruction can be diagnosed with physical examinations, medical history, blood tests, and imaging tests such as X-rays.

Treatment

1. Treatment options for partial airway obstruction are giving first aid, encouraging the person to relax and take deep breaths, encouraging the person to try and cough up the obstruction, and calling an ambulance immediately if the situation does not improve.
2. Treatment options for partial airway obstruction are first aid, the Heimlich maneuver, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), medications such as epinephrine that can be used to manage airway swelling due to an allergic reaction, and calling an ambulance immediately if the situation does not improve.

The following table summarizes the difference between partial and complete airway obstruction.

Summary – Partial vs Complete Airway Obstruction

Partial and complete airway obstruction are two different types of airway obstructions. Partial airway obstruction occurs when there is partial airway obstruction, and the ability to breathe is maintained, while complete airway obstruction occurs when there is complete airway obstruction and the ability to breathe is compromised. Furthermore, partial airway obstruction is a minor condition, whereas complete airway obstruction is a life-threatening condition. This is the summary of the difference between partial and complete airway obstruction.

FAQ: Partial and Complete Airway Obstruction

1. What is the most common cause of airway obstruction?

• The most common causes of airway obstruction include choking on a piece of food, inhaling or swallowing a foreign object, allergic reaction, infections, trauma to the airway from an accident, issues with vocal cord, breathing large amounts of smoke, croup, abscess in the throat or tonsils, asthma, collapse of the tracheal wall, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

2. What are the signs and symptoms following a partial airway obstruction?

• The signs and symptoms of partial airway obstruction include noisy gasping, wheezing, whistling, or labored breathing, difficulties with delivering complete sentences or speaking at a normal volume, anxiety, and watery eyes.

3. How do you treat a partially blocked airway?

• If the airway is only partly blocked, encourage the person to try to cough up the obstruction. The other treatment options include giving first aid and encouraging the person to relax and take deep breaths. If the situation does not improve, call an ambulance immediately if

4. What are the main signs and symptoms of a complete airway obstruction?

• The main signs and symptoms of complete airway obstruction include the inability to cry, talk, breathe, or cough, grasping the throat, becoming severely anxious or agitated, turning blue or dusky in color, and passing out.

5. How do you treat a complete airway obstruction?

• Treatment of complete airway obstruction depends on the cause of the blockage. These include removing objects stuck in the airway with special instruments, inserting an endotracheal tube to help with breathing, and tracheostomy or cricothyrotomy.

Reference:

1. Brady, Mark F. “Airway Obstruction.” StatPearls, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
2. “Signs of Choking (Complete Airway Obstruction).” NewYork-Presbyterian.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Airway obstruction” By Drcamachoent – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia

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