Which airway maneuver should be used for an unresponsive patient with suspected trauma?

• A. Head-tilt/chin-lift
• B. Jaw-thrust
• C. Suction
• D. Bag-valve-mask ventilation

Answer: (B)

In a trauma patient who is unresponsive, protecting the spine is crucial, so the airway must be opened without moving the head or neck. The jaw-thrust achieves this by lifting the mandible forward, which moves the tongue away from the airway and clears the passage without extending or flexing the neck. This keeps the cervical spine in a neutral position while allowing airflow. The head-tilt/chin-lift would risk worsening a spinal injury by extending the neck. Suction can help clear blood or secretions but doesn’t establish an open airway on its own, and bag-valve-mask ventilation is a method of delivering breaths once the airway is open, not the maneuver used to open it. So the jaw-thrust is the best option.