Which device is considered a supraglottic airway?

Which device is considered a supraglottic airway?

• A. Endotracheal tube
• B. Nasal cannula
• C. King LT-D or LMA
• D. Laryngoscope

Answer: (C)

Supraglottic airways sit above the vocal cords and seal the pharyngeal inlet to provide ventilation without inserting a tube through the glottis. The device that fits this role here is the King LT-D or the laryngeal mask airway (LMA); both are designed to sit over the laryngeal inlet and deliver breaths into the lungs without entering the trachea. They’re typically faster and easier to place than endotracheal tubes and are used when a definitive tracheal airway isn’t immediately required or when intubation is difficult. In contrast, an endotracheal tube passes through the cords into the trachea (infraglottic), a nasal cannula only delivers oxygen and doesn’t form an airway seal, and a laryngoscope is a tool used to visualize the airway rather than an airway device itself.

Supraglottic airways sit above the vocal cords and seal the pharyngeal inlet to provide ventilation without inserting a tube through the glottis. The device that fits this role here is the King LT-D or the laryngeal mask airway (LMA); both are designed to sit over the laryngeal inlet and deliver breaths into the lungs without entering the trachea. They’re typically faster and easier to place than endotracheal tubes and are used when a definitive tracheal airway isn’t immediately required or when intubation is difficult. In contrast, an endotracheal tube passes through the cords into the trachea (infraglottic), a nasal cannula only delivers oxygen and doesn’t form an airway seal, and a laryngoscope is a tool used to visualize the airway rather than an airway device itself.