Jaw-thrust maneuver

Jaw-thrust maneuver
Intervention
The Jaw-thrust maneuver is method used for opening the airway in unconscious patients
MeSH	D058109

The jaw-thrust maneuver is a procedure used to prevent the tongue obstructing the upper airways. The jaw thrust maneuver is a technique used on patients with a suspected spinal injury and is used on a supine patient.

The maneuver is performed by placing the index and middle fingers to physically push the posterior aspects of the mandible upwards while their thumbs push down on the chin to open the mouth. When the mandible is displaced forward, it pulls the tongue forward and prevents it from obstructing the entrance to the trachea.

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation no longer advocates use of the jaw thrust by lay rescuers,^[1] even for spinal-injured victims, although health care professionals still maintain the technique for specific applications. Instead, lay rescuers are advised to use the same head-tilt for all victims. If the patient is in danger of pulmonary aspiration, he or she should be placed in the recovery position, or advance airway management should be used.

See also

• Airway management
• First aid

References

1. 2005 International Consensus Conference on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations (29 November 2005). "Part 2: Adult Basic Life Support". Circulation 112 (22 Supplement): III–5. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.105.166472.