Platinum Paramedic Practice Test

In suspected airway obstruction, the first steps focus on opening and keeping the airway clear with simple, noninvasive maneuvers. The head tilt–chin lift is used to lift the tongue away from the back of the throat and align the passages so air can flow more easily, a straightforward move when there’s no concern about neck injury. The jaw thrust also opens the airway by moving the mandible forward, and it’s particularly important when spinal injury might be present because it avoids extending the neck. An airway adjunct, like an oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal airway, helps keep the throat from collapsing and maintains patency once the airway is opened. Laryngoscopy is different. It’s an invasive procedure that visualizes the larynx to guide placement of a definitive airway, such as an endotracheal tube. It’s not one of the initial opening techniques you’d use to rapidly improve airway patency in a suspected obstruction; it’s a subsequent step when basic maneuvers fail or a definitive airway is being secured.