Which of the following is true with respect to a child's airway?

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following is true with respect to a child's airway?

In pediatric airway management, the airway is small and easily compromised by soft tissues, especially the tongue, and by external pressures. When you provide supplemental positive pressure ventilation, that pressure can push tissues into the airway and, with a small diameter, create or worsen obstruction. It can also cause gastric distension, which further hinders ventilation. So the statement that supplemental pressure can cause obstruction is true. The other points aren’t correct: the pediatric airway is not larger than the adult’s, the tongue can obstruct in children, and positive pressure ventilation is not always unobstructed.

In pediatric airway management, the airway is small and easily compromised by soft tissues, especially the tongue, and by external pressures. When you provide supplemental positive pressure ventilation, that pressure can push tissues into the airway and, with a small diameter, create or worsen obstruction. It can also cause gastric distension, which further hinders ventilation. So the statement that supplemental pressure can cause obstruction is true. The other points aren’t correct: the pediatric airway is not larger than the adult’s, the tongue can obstruct in children, and positive pressure ventilation is not always unobstructed.

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