Nasopharyngeal Airway

This type of airway may be used on conscious victims since it is better tolerated because it generally does not stimulate the gag reflex.

Since they are made of flexible material, they are designed to be lubricated and then gently passed up the nostril and down into the pharynx.

If the airway meets an obstruction in one nostril, withdraw it and try to pass it up the other nostril.

If there is any gagging, try withdrawing the airway a small amount. Usually the gagging will stop.

Nasopharyngeal airways are made of soft, flexible material.

Lubricate the tip, then slide it gently into the nose and pass it over the palate into the pharynx.

In this position, it maintains the airway without causing a gag reflex in a conscious or semi-conscious patient.

Home · Military Medicine · Sick Call · Basic Exams · Medical Procedures · Lab and X-ray · The Pharmacy · The Library · Equipment · Patient Transport · Medical Force Protection · Operational Safety · Operational Settings · Special Operations · Humanitarian Missions · Instructions/Orders · Other Agencies · Video Gallery · Forms · Web Links · Acknowledgements · Help · Feedback

Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited.

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
Department of the Navy
2300 E Street NW
Washington, D.C
20372-5300

Operational Medicine
Health Care in Military Settings
CAPT Michael John Hughey, MC, USNR
NAVMED P-5139
January 1, 2001

United States Special Operations Command
7701 Tampa Point Blvd.
MacDill AFB, Florida
33621-5323

*This web version is provided by The Brookside Associates, LLC. It contains original contents from the official US Navy NAVMED P-5139, but has been reformatted for web access and includes advertising and links that were not present in the original version. The medical information presented was reviewed and felt to be accurate in 2001. Medical knowledge and practice methods may have changed since that time. Some links may no longer be active. This web version has not been approved by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense. The presence of any advertising on these pages does not constitute an endorsement of that product or service by either the US Department of Defense or the Brookside Associates. The Brookside Associates is a private organization, not affiliated with the United States Department of Defense.

Advertise on this site