Airway adjuncts: oropharyngeal airway: practice question

A Anaesthesia 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.

Try it

Anaesthesia · Airway adjuncts: oropharyngeal airway

Sample item

An unconscious patient on the ward is snoring and has partial upper airway obstruction from the tongue falling back. No gag reflex can be elicited. A curved plastic device sized from the corner of the mouth to the angle of the mandible is placed over the tongue. Which adjunct is this?

ACuffed endotracheal tubeBOropharyngeal airwayCNasopharyngeal airwayDLaryngeal mask airway

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Oropharyngeal airway

The oropharyngeal airway lifts the tongue off the posterior pharyngeal wall and is sized from the incisors or mouth corner to the angle of the jaw. It is tolerated only when the gag and cough reflexes are absent, otherwise it can provoke vomiting or laryngospasm.

Option by option

A. Cuffed endotracheal tube
A cuffed endotracheal tube passes through the cords and is a definitive airway, not a simple adjunct.
B. Oropharyngeal airway (correct)
Correct. A mouth-inserted curved device sized to the mandibular angle is used only with absent gag reflex.
C. Nasopharyngeal airway
A nasopharyngeal airway is a soft flexible tube passed through the nostril and is tolerated with a gag reflex.
D. Laryngeal mask airway
A laryngeal mask is a supraglottic device with a cuffed mask, inserted blindly and not sized to the jaw angle.

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.

Questions about this Anaesthesia question

What is the answer to this Anaesthesia question?

The best answer is B, Oropharyngeal airway. The oropharyngeal airway lifts the tongue off the posterior pharyngeal wall and is sized from the incisors or mouth corner to the angle of the jaw.

Why is "Cuffed endotracheal tube" not the answer?

A cuffed endotracheal tube passes through the cords and is a definitive airway, not a simple adjunct.

Why is "Nasopharyngeal airway" not the answer?

A nasopharyngeal airway is a soft flexible tube passed through the nostril and is tolerated with a gag reflex.

Why is "Laryngeal mask airway" not the answer?

A laryngeal mask is a supraglottic device with a cuffed mask, inserted blindly and not sized to the jaw angle.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Airway adjuncts: oropharyngeal airway in Anaesthesia. It is tolerated only when the gag and cough reflexes are absent, otherwise it can provoke vomiting or laryngospasm.

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 Airway adjuncts: oropharyngeal airway?

Make a table of each agent, its key advantage and its main side effect. Then use the flashcards and the other Anaesthesia 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.