In airway management with suspected cervical spine injury, which approach is preferred?

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Multiple Choice

In airway management with suspected cervical spine injury, which approach is preferred?

The main idea is to secure the airway while protecting the cervical spine by minimizing neck movement. In suspected cervical spine injury, the preferred approach is to use either a supraglottic airway or an advanced airway with manual in-line stabilization of the head and neck. This keeps the spine aligned during airway insertion and reduces the risk of secondary spinal injury from airway maneuvers. Supraglottic devices can provide rapid airway control when intubation is not immediately feasible, but if you proceed to intubation, it should be done with inline stabilization. Waiting to secure airway until arrival at the hospital or attempting intubation without stabilization increases the risk of hypoxia or worsening spinal injury.

The main idea is to secure the airway while protecting the cervical spine by minimizing neck movement. In suspected cervical spine injury, the preferred approach is to use either a supraglottic airway or an advanced airway with manual in-line stabilization of the head and neck. This keeps the spine aligned during airway insertion and reduces the risk of secondary spinal injury from airway maneuvers. Supraglottic devices can provide rapid airway control when intubation is not immediately feasible, but if you proceed to intubation, it should be done with inline stabilization. Waiting to secure airway until arrival at the hospital or attempting intubation without stabilization increases the risk of hypoxia or worsening spinal injury.

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