How do you open the airway if neck/spine injury is suspected?

• A. Jaw-thrust
• B. Head-tilt/Chin lift
• C. Mouth-to-mouth
• D. Look, listen, and feel for breathing

Answer: (A)

In a suspected neck or spine injury, opening the airway must be done without twisting or extending the neck. The jaw-thrust maneuver achieves this by lifting the lower jaw forward to move the tongue away from the back of the throat, creating an open airway while keeping the head and neck in a neutral position. This minimizes risk to the cervical spine compared with the head-tilt/chin-lift, which requires tilting the head back and can worsen spinal injury. Mouth-to-mouth is a ventilation method, not the initial airway opening technique, and is generally used after the airway is opened. Look, listen, and feel for breathing is an assessment step to determine if breathing is present, not a method to open the airway.