Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT-TMC) Practice Exam

When a conscious patient needs frequent suctioning, the airway adjunct should both keep the airway open and allow easy access for suctioning. A nasopharyngeal airway achieves this by sitting through the nasal passage into the pharynx, bypassing the tongue and helping to prevent obstruction without triggering a strong gag reflex in most awake patients. This makes it well tolerated and practical for ongoing use during suctioning, and it provides a stable conduit for suction catheters without repeatedly inserting new devices. Proper sizing is important—measure from the nostril to the earlobe or angle of the jaw—and insert with lubrication, directing the bevel toward the nasal septum and advancing gently, with rotation if needed. Use caution in patients with suspected basal skull fracture or significant coagulopathy, as nasal placement can cause injury. In contrast, an oropharyngeal airway is typically for unconscious patients and can provoke gagging in a conscious patient; a nasal oxygen catheter delivers oxygen only and does not maintain airway patency or permit suctioning; and an endobronchial airway is not used for routine airway management in this scenario.