If cervical spine injury is suspected, which airway maneuver should be used?

• A. Jaw thrust maneuver
• B. Head tilt-chin lift
• C. Oropharyngeal airway insertion
• D. Bag-valve mask ventilation

Answer: (A)

Opening the airway while keeping the neck immobilized is essential when a cervical spine injury is suspected. The jaw-thrust maneuver achieves this by lifting the mandible forward to move the tongue and soft tissues away from the airway, all without bending or extending the neck. This preserves spinal alignment while you establish an airway.

The head tilt-chin lift, by contrast, requires extending the neck and can worsen cervical spine injury. An oropharyngeal airway is helpful for maintaining patency, but it doesn’t provide the initial opening of the airway with the spine stabilized. Bag-valve mask ventilation is a ventilation method that may follow once the airway is open, but it doesn’t itself address how to open the airway safely in the setting of possible spinal injury.