| Oropharyngeal airway | |
|---|---|
 Guedel airways | |
| ICD-9-CM | 96.02 |
An oropharyngeal airway (also known as an oral airway, OPA or Guedel pattern airway) is a medical device called an airway adjunct used in airway management to maintain or open a patient's airway. It does this by preventing the tongue from covering the epiglottis, which could prevent the person from breathing. When a person becomes unconscious, the muscles in their jaw relax and allow the tongue to obstruct the airway.[1]
- ^ Ed Dickinson; Dan Limmer; O'Keefe, Michael F.; Grant, Harvey D.; Bob Murray (2008). Emergency Care (11th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice Hall. pp. 157–9. ISBN 978-0-13-500524-8.