Which statement best describes overall management for airway in suspected basilar skull fracture?

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Multiple Choice

Which statement best describes overall management for airway in suspected basilar skull fracture?

In suspected basilar skull fracture, nasal airways are avoided because the fracture at the skull base can allow instruments to intrude into the cranial cavity, increasing the risk of intracranial placement and CSF leak. The priority is to protect the airway and get the patient to definitive care as quickly as possible. This means securing the airway with an oral route (for example, rapid sequence intubation with in-line cervical stabilization) or using a supraglottic device as a temporary measure if needed, but never placing nasal airways. After airway protection, focus on adequate ventilation and rapid transport to a facility capable of definitive management.

In suspected basilar skull fracture, nasal airways are avoided because the fracture at the skull base can allow instruments to intrude into the cranial cavity, increasing the risk of intracranial placement and CSF leak. The priority is to protect the airway and get the patient to definitive care as quickly as possible. This means securing the airway with an oral route (for example, rapid sequence intubation with in-line cervical stabilization) or using a supraglottic device as a temporary measure if needed, but never placing nasal airways. After airway protection, focus on adequate ventilation and rapid transport to a facility capable of definitive management.

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