Nasopharyngeal airway

Nasopharyngeal airway
Intervention
Nasopharyngeal airway.
ICD-9-CM	96.01

In medicine, a nasopharyngeal airway, also known as an NPA or a nasal trumpet because of its flared end, a type of airway adjunct, is a tube that is designed to be inserted into the nasal passageway to secure an open airway. When a patient becomes unconscious, the muscles in the jaw commonly relax and can allow the tongue to slide back and obstruct the airway. The purpose of the flared end is to prevent the device from becoming lost inside the patient's head.

Indications and contraindications

Nasopharyngeal airways are sometimes used by people who have sleep apnea.

These devices are also used by emergency care professionals such as EMTs and paramedics in situations where an artificial form of airway maintenance is necessary but it is impossible or inadvisable to use an oropharyngeal airway, the preferred type of airway adjunct, or intubate, considered the most certain way to secure a patent airway, but also the most medically invasive. In an unconscious patient, suction of the upper airways may also be applied via an NPA.

Insertion of an NPA is contraindicated in patients with severe head or facial injuries, or have evidence of a basilar skull fracture (Battle's sign, raccoon eyes, cerebrospinal fluid/blood from ears, etc.) due to the possibility of direct intrusion upon brain tissue. An oropharyngeal airway may be used instead, but these devices frequently trigger a patient's gag reflex, while nasopharyngeal airways usually do not.^[1]

Insertion

The correct size airway is chosen by measuring the device on the patient: the device should reach from the patient's nostril to the earlobe or the angle of the jaw.^[1] The outside of the tube is lubricated with a water-based lubricant so that it enters the nose more easily. The device is inserted until the flared end rests against the nostril.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Daniel Limmer and Michael F. O'Keefe. 2005. Emergency Care 10th ed. Edward T. Dickinson, Ed. Pearson, Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Page 147.

This article related to medical equipment is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Medical equipment Respiration Medical equipment stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая? Conway's Law Melvin Conway Look at other dictionaries: nasopharyngeal airway — a curved tube to be slotted down one nostril of an unconscious patient, to sit behind the tongue, to create a patent airway. See also oropharyngeal airway. * * * a hollow tube inserted into a nostril and directed along the floor of the nose to… …   Medical dictionary nasopharyngeal airway — a curved tube to be slotted down one nostril of an unconscious patient, to sit behind the tongue, to create a patent airway. See also: oropharyngeal airway …   The new mediacal dictionary Airway management — In cardiopulmonary resuscitation, anaesthesia, emergency medicine, intensive care medicine and first aid, airway management is the process of ensuring that: # there is an open pathway between a patient’s lungs and the outside world, and # the… …   Wikipedia Airway (disambiguation) — The term airway may refer to the following medical terms: *Airway, a part of the respiratory system through which air flows *Nasopharyngeal airway, a tube used in the nasal passageway to secure an open airway *Oropharyngeal airway, a medical… …   Wikipedia Airway — The airways are those parts of the respiratory system through which air flows, to get from the external environment to the alveoli.The airway begins at the mouth or nose, and accesses the trachea via the pharynx. The trachea branches into the… …   Wikipedia airway — n. 1) any of the passages of the respiratory system. 2) any device that enables the flow of air into and out of the lungs. See: nasopharyngeal airway, oropharyngeal airway …   The new mediacal dictionary Airway — The path air follows to get into and out of the lungs. The mouth and nose are the normal entry and exit ports. Entering air then passes through the back of the throat (pharynx), continues through the voice box (larynx), down the trachea, and… …   Medical dictionary Oropharyngeal airway — Intervention Guedel airways ICD 9 CM …   Wikipedia oropharyngeal airway — n a tube used to provide free passage of air between the mouth and pharynx of an unconscious person * * * a curved tube designed to be placed in the mouth of an unconscious patient, behind the tongue, to create a patent airway. See also… …   Medical dictionary oropharyngeal airway — a curved tube designed to be placed in the mouth of an unconscious patient, behind the tongue, to create a patent airway. See also: nasopharyngeal airway …   The new mediacal dictionary 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”