Airway obstruction or compromise can be life threatening and is time critical

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Airway obstruction or compromise can be life threatening and is time critical *

Remember! An unresponsive patient or patient with grossly abnormal breathing or no breathing or no palpable pulse = CARDIAC ARREST.

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All staff working in acute care should feel confident to use basic airway manoeuvres to open an airway. Head tilt/ chin lift and jaw thrust manoeuvre can resolve airway obstruction caused by the tongue falling back over the pharynx due to loss of muscle tone in the patient with reduced conscious level.

  • Place one hand on the patient’s forehead and tilt the head backwards, place the other hand under the chin and gently lift.

open airway

  • Place your fingers behind the mandible and use gentle upward pressure to lift the mandible. Use your thumbs to open the mouth by downward displacement of the chin.

    After each manoeuvre use look, listen and feel to assess whether it has been successful. If obstruction is not resolved look for other causes of airway obstruction.

jaw thrust

Precautions in spinal cord injury:

If spinal cord injury is suspected or known, use chin lift or jaw thrust manoeuvres in combination with manual in-line stabilisation (MILS). Ensuring to keep the head, neck, chest and lumbar region in a neutral position. If you cannot achieve a patent airway with these techniques and the airway remains obstructed, this takes priority over potential cervical spine injury.