How to Insert a Laryngeal Mask Airway | Merck Manual Professional Version

Learn more about airway and respiratory devices: www.merckmanua...
There are numerous techniques for LMA insertion. The standard approach is to press the deflated mask against the hard palate (using the long finger of the dominant hand) and rotate it past the base of the tongue until the mask reaches the hypopharynx so that the tip then sits in the upper esophagus. Once in the correct position, the mask is inflated. Inflating the mask with half the recommended volume before insertion stiffens the tip, possibly making insertion easier. Some mask versions replace the inflatable cuff with a gel that molds to the airway.
Procedure demonstrated by Chad Smith, MD, EM-2. Walter A. Schrading, MD, FACEP, faculty supervisor. WellSpan York Hospital Emergency Medicine Residency Program, York, PA. Cadaver specimens provided by Maryland State Anatomy Board, DHMH. Filmed on location at School of Medicine, Anatomical Services Division, Univ. of Maryland.
#respiration #criticalcare