Airway management - Definition

In cardiopulmonary resuscitation, anaesthesia, emergency medicine, and intensive care medicine, airway management is the process or ensuring that:

1. there is an open pathway between a patient’s lungs and the outside world, and
2. the lungs are safe from aspiration.

In nearly all circumstances airway management is the highest priority for clinical care. The ‘A’ is for ‘airway’ in the ‘ABC’ of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Techniques range from the very simple lateral position to complex specialised techniques such awake fiberoptic intubation.

See also

• intubation
• endotracheal tube
• laryngeal mask airway
• ventilation