View source for Airway Adjunct

Airway adjuncts are medical tools used to create or maintain a patent (open) airway in a conscious or unconscious patient. Adjuncts are separated into [[Basic airway management|basic airway adjuncts]] and [[Advanced airway management|advanced airway adjuncts]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Say |first=Sam D. |title=Basic vs. Advanced Airway Management |url=https://blog.sscor.com/basic-vs.-advanced-airway-management |access-date=2026-09-29 |website=blog.sscor.com |language=en-us}}</ref>

== Basic Airway Adjuncts ==
[[Oropharyngeal airway|Oropharyngeal airway adjuncts(OPA)]] are curved hard plastic adjuncts that are inserted with the curve facing towards the tongue. They are then flipped by the operator so that the curve is against the roof of the mouth.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzc_T4QBp4E |title=Oropharyngeal Airway Insertion |date=2017-01-06 |last=Staffs Paramedics |access-date=2026-09-29 |via=YouTube}}</ref> This maneuver forces the jaw open and can assist in keeping the [[upper airway]] open.

[[Nasopharyngeal airway|Nasopharyngeal airway adjuncts(NPA)]] are soft rubber tubes with a coned end and a tapered end. In certain prehospital settings the adjunct is measured from the nose to the earlobe and is then lubricated and inserted tapered end first into the nose of the patient.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uALM3HqtTnI |title=EMS Skills - Nasopharyngeal Airway Insertion |date=2013-07-30 |last=WCTCFire&EMS |access-date=2026-09-29 |via=YouTube}}</ref> the NPA (Nasopharyngeal Airway) is used in instances where the integrity of the roof of the mouth is compromised, with infants or if the patient has an intact gag reflex.<ref>{{Cite web |title=American Heart Association Journals |url=https://www.ahajournals.org/action/cookieAbsent |access-date=2026-09-29 |website=American Heart Association Journals |language=en |doi=10.1161/circulationaha.105.166556}}</ref>

== Advanced Airway Adjuncts ==
[[Tracheal intubation|Endotracheal tube(ET)]] is an advanced adjunct that is inserted through the nose or mouth. It is thought to be the most difficult adjunct to install but it is also the most secure adjunct available in the prehospital setting. ET tubes work by being inserted into the trachea, where the operator then inflates a small balloon which keeps the trachea patent. This device can be connected to pressurized supplemental oxygen. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Cleveland Clinic |first= |title=Intubation |url=https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22160-intubation}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=ACLS Advanced Airway Adjuncts Guide {{!}} AMC |url=https://advancedmedicalcertification.com/lesson/advanced-intubation-adjuncts-acls-online-handbook |access-date=2026-09-29 |website=Advanced Medical Certification |language=en-us}}</ref>

[[Laryngeal mask airway|Laryngeal mask airway(LM)]]  <ref name=":1" />

[[Laryngeal tube|Laryngeal tube(LT)]] <ref name=":1" />

[[ESOPHAGEAL-TRACHEAL TUBE|Esophageal-tracheal tube]] <ref name=":1" />

== Citations ==