What should you verify before inserting an oral airway?

What should you verify before inserting an oral airway?

• A. Check for gag reflex
• B. Ensure the patient is unconscious
• C. Ask the patient to swallow
• D. Verify the patient can speak

Answer: (B)

An oral airway should be placed only when the patient cannot protect their airway. The device is meant to keep the tongue from blocking the airway in an unresponsive patient who can’t close off the airway themselves. If the patient is conscious or has a gag reflex, inserting an oral airway can trigger gagging, coughing, vomiting, or aspiration, which makes the situation worse. So, the key check is confirming the patient is unconscious (unable to protect the airway) before insertion. Signals that it’s not yet appropriate include a gag reflex, the ability to swallow, or the ability to speak, all of which indicate the airway reflexes are still intact.

An oral airway should be placed only when the patient cannot protect their airway. The device is meant to keep the tongue from blocking the airway in an unresponsive patient who can’t close off the airway themselves. If the patient is conscious or has a gag reflex, inserting an oral airway can trigger gagging, coughing, vomiting, or aspiration, which makes the situation worse. So, the key check is confirming the patient is unconscious (unable to protect the airway) before insertion. Signals that it’s not yet appropriate include a gag reflex, the ability to swallow, or the ability to speak, all of which indicate the airway reflexes are still intact.