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An oropharyngeal airway (also known as an oral airway, OPA or Guedel pattern airway) is a medical device called an airway adjunct used in airway management to maintain or open a patient's airway. It does this by preventing the tongue from covering the epiglottis, which could prevent the person from breathing. When a person becomes unconscious ...
Basic airway management is a concept and set of medical procedures performed to prevent and treat airway obstruction and allow for adequate ventilation to a patient's lungs. [1] This is accomplished by clearing or preventing obstructions of airways. Airway obstructions can occur in both conscious and unconscious individuals.
Upper and lower airway. Airway obstruction is a blockage of respiration in the airway that hinders the free flow of air. Airway obstructions can occur either in the upper airway or lower airway. The upper airway consists of the nose, throat, and larynx. The lower airway comprises the trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles. [1] [page needed]
An oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal airway is used during bag-valve-mask ventilation to prevent soft tissues from blocking the airway. An oropharyngeal airway may cause gagging and vomiting. Therefore, an oropharyngeal airway must be sized appropriately. An airway that is incorrectly sized can worsen the airway obstruction.
A model of an oropharyngeal airway (OPA) preventing the tongue from obstructing the airway. An oropharyngeal airway (OPA) is a rigid tube that is inserted into the mouth through the oropharynx and placed above the tongue to move it away from the back of the throat. [2] [4] They are more commonly used than nasopharyngeal airways (NPAs). [4]
OPAs prevent airway obstruction by ensuring that the patient's tongue does not obstruct the epiglottis by creating a conduit. Because an oropharyngeal airway can mechanically stimulate the gag reflex, it should only be used in a deeply sedated or unresponsive patient to avoid vomiting and aspiration. [26]
In partial obstruction, the patient can usually clear the foreign body with coughing. [21] In complete obstruction, acute intervention is required to remove the foreign body. [21] If foreign body aspiration is suspected, finger sweeping in the mouth is not recommended due to the increased risk of displacing the foreign object further into the ...
Stertor (from Latin stertere 'to snore') is a term first used in 1804 [2] to describe a noisy breathing sound, such as snoring. [3] [4] It is caused by partial obstruction of the upper airways, at the level of the nasopharynx or oropharynx.