In a trauma patient with suspected cervical spine injury and an unresponsive airway, which maneuver is recommended to open the airway?

• A. Head-tilt-chin-lift
• B. Jaw-thrust maneuver
• C. Oropharyngeal airway insertion
• D. Nasal airway insertion

Answer: (B)

In a trauma patient with possible cervical spine injury, the airway must be opened without moving the neck. The jaw-thrust maneuver accomplishes this by lifting the mandible forward, which pulls the tongue and soft tissues away from the back of the throat and creates a clear airway while the head and neck remain in a neutral position. When performed with manual inline stabilization of the head, this technique protects the cervical spine from further injury while establishing airway patency. Extending the neck to open the airway could worsen spinal injury, and other options like nasal routes carry risks in trauma (such as skull fracture) or are adjuncts rather than primary openings. Thus, the jaw-thrust is the preferred method in this scenario.