Kern County EMT Protocols Practice Test

CPAP should only be used in patients who are able to protect their airway and breathe spontaneously with support. Agonal respirations indicate extremely compromised breathing near arrest, so providing positive pressure won’t fix the underlying problem and can delay definitive care. A pneumothorax can be worsened by positive pressure, increasing the risk of progression to a tension pneumothorax. A tracheostomy means the airway is accessed below the larynx, and CPAP via a mask isn’t appropriate or reliably effective in this situation. Because all of these conditions pose safety or effectiveness concerns, they are all contraindications to CPAP.