An adult patient was involved in a boating accident, then drowned. Which technique should you use to open his airway?

• A. Head tilt-chin lift
• B. Jaw thrust
• C. Suction only
• D. Nasal airway

Answer: (B)

In a trauma patient with potential cervical spine injury, the airway is opened with a jaw thrust. This maneuver lifts the lower jaw forward, moving the tongue away from the back of the throat to clear the airway, all without extending or turning the neck. That neutral position helps protect the cervical spine while still allowing effective ventilation.

The head tilt–chin lift would require extending the neck, which can worsen a spinal injury from the boating accident. Suction alone doesn’t establish an open airway, and a nasal airway is only an adjunct and not a definitive method to open the airway in an unresponsive patient, especially if there’s facial trauma or a need to protect the spine.

So, the best choice in this situation is the jaw thrust because it opens the airway while minimizing movement of the cervical spine.