Accessory Muscle Use Your decision to intubate a patient depends on a few things: 1) Oxygenation 2) Ventilation 3) Work of breathing 4) Cough/Secretion Clearance A patient with hypoxia without accessory muscle use can have a few different things going on: 1) Normal lung compliance --> consider shunt as a cause of hypoxia. 2) Neuromuscular weakness --> these patients might not be able to mount a strong accessory muscle use 3) Not that sick/distressed If I see a very hypoxic person without accesso