Oropharyngeal airways (OPAs) are useful in maintaining airway patency in unconscious patients of all ages. OPAs are often referred to as a Guedel's airways, after the American physician who developed them. There are some differences in using these in the paediatric population when compared to adults, so here are a few reminders of the differences.
General paediatric airway considerations:
When inserting an OPA in children under 8-years-old:
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References:
Australian and New Zealand Council on Resuscitation (ANZCOR) 2016, ANZCOR Guideline 12.6 – Introduction to Paediatric Advanced Life Support Techniques in Paediatric Advanced Life Support.
Hambrecht, K. (2019). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation: basic and advanced life support. Chapter 70 in Brown, D., Edwards, H., Buckley, T., and Aitken, R.L. (eds.). Lewis’s Medical-Surgical Nursing: Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems. (5th edn.). Elsevier: Chatswood.
Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne (RCH) 2019, The Paediatric Trauma Manual: Airway Procedures.
Crystal Smith is a Senior Education Consultant for Critical Care Education Services (part of the Medcast Group). She has a clinical background in critical care, paediatrics and education.
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