Where may padding be required when properly positioning a child older than 2 years to maintain a patent airway?

Where may padding be required when properly positioning a child older than 2 years to maintain a patent airway?

• A. Under the chin
• B. Under the occiput
• C. Under the knees
• D. Under the shoulder blades

Answer: (B)

Positioning to keep the airway open relies on aligning the mouth, throat, and airway with the trachea. For a child older than about 2 years, placing a small pad or towel under the occiput helps tilt the head back just enough to create the sniffing position, extending the neck slightly and aligning the pharynx and larynx with the trachea. This straightens the airway and reduces soft-tissue obstruction, making ventilation easier. Padding under the chin or under the knees doesn’t achieve that same optimal alignment and can worsen airway patency. Padding under the shoulder blades is more commonly used in infants to compensate for their large occiput, not in older children.

Positioning to keep the airway open relies on aligning the mouth, throat, and airway with the trachea. For a child older than about 2 years, placing a small pad or towel under the occiput helps tilt the head back just enough to create the sniffing position, extending the neck slightly and aligning the pharynx and larynx with the trachea. This straightens the airway and reduces soft-tissue obstruction, making ventilation easier.

Padding under the chin or under the knees doesn’t achieve that same optimal alignment and can worsen airway patency. Padding under the shoulder blades is more commonly used in infants to compensate for their large occiput, not in older children.