As you enter the living room of an adult patient who called 911 for shortness of breath, you observe the patient sitting upright in a chair with a panicked look on her face, struggling to breathe, with obvious suprasternal retractions. Her breathing rate appears to be fast and her tidal volume poor. You can hear rhonchi from her lungs without the aid of a stethoscope. Once at her side, your initial care should be to:

In an emergency, EMTs should assess a patient's airway and help them breathe using artificial ventilation. Oxygen is the main treatment for respiratory difficulty. Here are some basic steps to take: Position: If the patient is breathing adequately, use a nonrebreather mask at 12-15 liters per minute. If the patient is not breathing well, have them lie down to receive artificial ventilations. Comfort: Have the patient sit up in a comfortable position. Inhalers: If the patient has an inhaler, you can help them use it after consulting with medical direction.  Respiratory distress, also... Show more

In an emergency, EMTs should assess a patient's airway and help them breathe using artificial ventilation. Oxygen is the main treatment for respiratory difficulty. Here are some basic steps to take:
Position: If the patient is breathing adequately, use a nonrebreather mask at 12-15 liters per minute. If the patient is not breathing well, have them lie down to receive artificial ventilations.
Comfort: Have the patient sit up in a comfortable position.
Inhalers: If the patient has an inhaler, you can help them use it after consulting with medical direction. 

Respiratory distress, also called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), is respiratory failure caused by rapid onset of widespread inflammation in the lungs. Patients with ARDS have severe shortness of breath and often are unable to breath without the support of a ventilator. 

Other respiratory emergencies include:
Airway obstruction: These obstructions can be mild, making breathing difficult or painful, or they can be urgent and life-threatening. For example, a choking child is an urgent airway obstruction.
Pneumothorax: This is a potentially life-threatening condition commonly associated with complaints such as chest pain, shortness of breath, and trauma.
Anaphylaxis: This is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention. In case of anaphylactic shock, vascular collapse may occur within minutes after exposure to the allergic substances.
COPD: Patients with COPD may be semiconscious or unconscious from hypoxia, a condition in which the body's cells and tissues do not get enough oxygen, or from carbon dioxide retention.
Asthma: This is a cause of reversible airway obstruction secondary to chronic airway inflammation and bronchial hyperreactivity. Patients often present with wheeze and shortness of breath.
Pulmonary embolism: This can increase the heart's workload and sometimes cause cardiogenic shock, which is a life-threatening condition in which your heart suddenly can't pump enough blood to meet your body's needs.
Bronchiolitis: This is generally manageable at home, but sometimes it can quickly worsen and lead to respiratory distress. 

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