When inserting an oropharyngeal airway in an infant or child, you should:

When inserting an oropharyngeal airway in an infant or child, you should:

• A. Insert with the bevel facing the airway
• B. Depress the tongue with a tongue depressor
• C. Insert while the child is actively vomiting
• D. Use a nasopharyngeal airway instead

Answer: (B)

Depressing the tongue with a tongue depressor is essential when placing an oropharyngeal airway in an infant or child because the tongue is a common source of airway obstruction in this age group. By pressing the tongue downward and forward, you create the space behind it for the airway to sit properly, allowing the device to pass past the tongue and keep the airway open. This technique makes insertion smoother and helps prevent the tongue from occluding the airway once the airway adjunct is in place. Use this method only in patients without a gag reflex, since inserting an OPA in someone who can gag can provoke coughing, gagging, or vomiting. A nasopharyngeal airway is a different device and may be chosen based on nasal patency and other factors, but it isn’t a substitute for the technique of managing the tongue during OPA placement.

Depressing the tongue with a tongue depressor is essential when placing an oropharyngeal airway in an infant or child because the tongue is a common source of airway obstruction in this age group. By pressing the tongue downward and forward, you create the space behind it for the airway to sit properly, allowing the device to pass past the tongue and keep the airway open. This technique makes insertion smoother and helps prevent the tongue from occluding the airway once the airway adjunct is in place. Use this method only in patients without a gag reflex, since inserting an OPA in someone who can gag can provoke coughing, gagging, or vomiting. A nasopharyngeal airway is a different device and may be chosen based on nasal patency and other factors, but it isn’t a substitute for the technique of managing the tongue during OPA placement.