Question

Which of the following patients should NOT have their airway opened using a head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver?

A. A 35-year-old diabetic woman who is in the driver's seat of the car in her driveway, who becomes unresponsive while speaking to her husband.
B. A 50-year-old woman who choked on a piece of food while dining in a restaurant and was lowered to the floor by a waiter.
C. A 25-year-old man who is still unresponsive after a grand mal seizure.
D. A homeless person of undetermined age found lying unresponsive in an alley with no bystanders.

Answer 1

Do not use the head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver on the homeless person found unresponsive in the alley (option D) due to potential spinal injury risk; use a jaw-thrust maneuver instead.

Step-by-step explanation:

A patient should NOT have their airway opened using a head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver if there is a potential spinal injury. In the provided scenarios, option D, a homeless person of undetermined age found lying unresponsive in an alley with no bystanders, should not have the head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver due to the unknown circumstances surrounding their condition which might include a fall or blow to the head, potentially causing a spinal injury.

When a person is found unresponsive and the cause of unresponsiveness isn't witnessed or known, cervical spine precautions should be taken to avoid exacerbating any possible spinal injury. Alternative methods, such as the jaw-thrust maneuver without extending the neck, may be used to open the airway in cases where spinal injury is a concern.