Oropharyngeal airway

Background

• Primarily used in prehospital setting by EMT's to secure an airway

Indications

• Unresponsive patients w/o gag reflex
• Apneic patient being ventilated with BVM

Contraindications

• Conscious patients
• Intact gag reflex

Procedure

Application

• Size OPA from earlobe to mouth
• Open patients mouth and insert OPA with the tip towards the roof of the mouth
• Rotate airway 180° and insert until it is fully inserted

Oropharyngeal airways

Removal

• Pull out the OPA

See also

• Intubation
• Supraglottic airway
• Rapid Sequence Intubation (RSI)