Which condition warrants the use of the jaw-thrust maneuver to open the airway?

Which condition warrants the use of the jaw-thrust maneuver to open the airway?

• A. Anaphylaxis
• B. Cervical spine injuries
• C. Obstructed airway
• D. Hypovolemia

Answer: (B)

The jaw-thrust is used when there is a suspicion of a cervical spine injury. It opens the airway by lifting the mandible forward, which moves the tongue and soft tissues away from the airway without tilting or rotating the head. That keeps the neck in a neutral position, protecting the spine while you ensure the patient can breathe. In trauma where spine injury cannot be ruled out, this is the preferred method to open the airway. In conditions like anaphylaxis or hypovolemia, the priority isn’t maintaining spinal alignment, so other airway techniques may be used depending on the situation. For an obstructed airway, you address the obstruction itself, but you still protect the neck if a spine injury is possible. So the situation that calls for this maneuver specifically is suspected cervical spine injury.

The jaw-thrust is used when there is a suspicion of a cervical spine injury. It opens the airway by lifting the mandible forward, which moves the tongue and soft tissues away from the airway without tilting or rotating the head. That keeps the neck in a neutral position, protecting the spine while you ensure the patient can breathe. In trauma where spine injury cannot be ruled out, this is the preferred method to open the airway. In conditions like anaphylaxis or hypovolemia, the priority isn’t maintaining spinal alignment, so other airway techniques may be used depending on the situation. For an obstructed airway, you address the obstruction itself, but you still protect the neck if a spine injury is possible. So the situation that calls for this maneuver specifically is suspected cervical spine injury.