Airway

The passage(s) through which the patient breathes. Naturally this is a patient’s nose and mouth. When patients are sedated and ventilated this can refer to the endotracheal tube or tracheostomy. Occasionally used as a shorthand reference to an oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal airway – these are smaller plastic tubes that can be inserted into the patient’s nose or mouth to help keep their natural ‘airway’ open