Larynx and airway: laryngospasm management: practice question

A ENT question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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ENT · Larynx and airway: laryngospasm management

Sample item

On emergence from anaesthesia a patient develops stridor that turns to silence, with paradoxical chest movement and falling saturation. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Jaw thrust with 100 percent oxygen and positive airway pressure

Laryngospasm is reflex glottic closure. Remove the stimulus, apply jaw thrust and 100 percent oxygen with continuous positive pressure, and if it persists give a small dose of suxamethonium and be ready to intubate. Surgical airway is only for failure of these steps.

Option by option

  • A. Intravenous adrenaline infusion

    Adrenaline is not the treatment for reflex glottic closure.

  • B. Blind nasal intubation

    Blind intubation through a closed glottis is traumatic and ineffective.

  • C. Immediate tracheostomy

    Surgical airway is a last resort when other measures fail.

  • D. Jaw thrust with 100 percent oxygen and positive airway pressure (correct)

    Correct. Jaw thrust with CPAP and oxygen breaks the spasm in most cases.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this ENT question

What is the answer to this ENT question?

The best answer is D, Jaw thrust with 100 percent oxygen and positive airway pressure. Laryngospasm is reflex glottic closure.

Why is "Intravenous adrenaline infusion" not the answer?

Adrenaline is not the treatment for reflex glottic closure.

Why is "Blind nasal intubation" not the answer?

Blind intubation through a closed glottis is traumatic and ineffective.

Why is "Immediate tracheostomy" not the answer?

Surgical airway is a last resort when other measures fail.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Larynx and airway: laryngospasm management in ENT. Remove the stimulus, apply jaw thrust and 100 percent oxygen with continuous positive pressure, and if it persists give a small dose of suxamethonium and be ready to intubate. Surgical airway is only for failure of these steps.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Larynx and airway: laryngospasm management?

Learn tuning fork results and audiogram patterns by sketching them. Then use the flashcards and the other ENT questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.