The Importance of Airway Management Devices in Medical Procedures

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is known to infect the entire respiratory tract, right from the trachea to the alveoli. In critical cases, the virus damages the walls of the respiratory tract, causing inflammation of the lungs and filling it with fluid. Once fluids start building up in the air sacs, the breathing capacity of the person drastically goes down causing a decline in the oxygen levels of the body. Hence, the nature of the SARS-CoV-2 virus put a lot of focus on the human respiratory system and ailments related to it during the pandemic years. Naturally, the utility and importance of airway management devices was also heavily discussed during the pandemic period.

What is Airway Management and What are Airway Management Devices?

Airway management entails the treatment of a patient’s ventilation or breathing problems by conducting certain medical procedures which help in restoring his/her breathing channels or opening new channel/s. Airway management is one of the most important components of medical intensive care as it is one of the preliminary steps taken by doctors and medical practitioners during an emergency when the bodily oxygen level starts falling.

Many-a-times, surgeons resort to airway management prior to surgery so that the oxygen levels of the patient remain intact during the operation. The medical devices used for airway management are thus, called airway management devices. Depending on the medical condition of the patient or the nature of the medical procedure the patient is about to undergo, doctors use different airway management devices to “open up” different artificial airways.

The Importance of Airway Management Devices in Medical Procedures

As with any other medical procedure, airway management is basically of two types- basic and advanced. While basic airway management procedures are non-invasive in nature, advanced procedures require specialized airway management devices. Advanced airway management includes three types of artificial airways- oropharyngeal airway, nasopharyngeal airway, and endotracheal airway. In order to perform medical procedures smoothly, leading medical device manufacturing companies have launched their own state-of-the-art products in the airway management devices market.

Oropharyngeal airway management device plays an important role in clearing the airway obstruction caused by the tongue covering the epiglottis. This medical condition generally arises when the patient passes out, resulting in the relaxation of his/her jaw muscles causing the tongue to block the airway. Oropharyngeal airway (OPA) management devices come in different sizes to suit infants, youngsters, and adults, and their administration needs to be done with utmost care in order to avoid gag reflex which may induce the patient into vomiting, thereby blocking the airway further. OPA devices are particularly important for facilitating ventilation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

In cases where OPA devices are deemed unfit or in situations where the patient is responsive, doctors generally opt for nasopharyngeal airway management devices. Nasopharyngeal airway management devices are, just like OPA devices, tubes or hoses designed to open up a channel from the nasal passage to the posterior pharynx. Thus, the only difference between OPA and NPA devices is the source of administration of the tubes. While NPA devices are generally preferred over OPA devices, nasopharyngeal airway management devices are specifically avoided when the patient has suffered physical trauma to the face or a skull fracture.

Endotracheal airway (ETA) devices are some of the most common and most important of all airway management devices. ETA devices are essentially used to open an airway up to the trachea. The other end of the tube, hose, or catheter can be used in multiple ways; it can be connected to a ventilator to mechanically deliver oxygen to the patient or can be used to administer drugs to the patient directly. Their importance is, thus, not limited to airway management, but to the overall treatment and rehabilitation of the patient.

In Summary

While basic airway management techniques like chin lifting, head tilting, or jaw thrusting are also effective, many-a-times, they aren’t enough, especially when the patient is already suffering from respiratory ailments. In such cases, doctors are compelled to use airway management devices to open the pathways to the lungs. In many cases, the tubes that are inserted in the patient through the mouth are also used by doctors to directly view the respiratory organs. Airway management devices like laryngoscopes are used, for example, to view the larynx of the patient. Thus, airway management devices serve a wide functionality and are used in almost every major medical procedure.

About the Author(s)

Princy A. J

Princy holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the prestigious Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. University at Chennai, India. After a successful academic record, she pursued her passion for writing. A thorough professional and enthusiastic writer, she enjoys writing on various categories and advancements in the global industries. She plays an instrumental role in writing about current updates, news, blogs, and trends.