Basic airway management

Basic airway management
Demonstration of the bag valve mask to soldiers in class during a first responder course
Other names	Basic airway maneuvers
Specialty	Emergency medicine, prehospital medicine, anesthesia, critical care medicine, nursing, first-aid
Uses	Clearing airway obstructions, preventing airway obstructions, ventilation
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Basic airway management is a concept and set of medical procedures performed to prevent and treat airway obstruction and allow for adequate ventilation to a patient's lungs.^[1] This is accomplished by clearing or preventing obstructions of airways. Airway obstructions can occur in both conscious and unconscious individuals. They can also be partial or complete. Airway obstruction is commonly caused by the tongue, the airways itself, foreign bodies or materials from the body itself, such as blood or vomit. ^[2] Contrary to advanced airway management, basic airway management technique do not rely on the use of invasive medical equipment and can be performed with less training. Medical equipment commonly used includes oropharyngeal airway, nasopharyngeal airway, bag valve mask, and pocket mask. ^[2] Airway management is a primary consideration in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, anaesthesia, emergency medicine, intensive care medicine and first aid.