critical care medicine
How To Insert a Nasopharyngeal Airway
Relevant Anatomy for Nasopharyngeal Airway
Aligning the external auditory canal with the sternal notch may help open the upper airway and establishes the best position to view the airway if endotracheal intubation becomes necessary. The degree of head elevation that best aligns the ear and sternal notch varies (eg, none in children with a large occiput, a large degree in obese patients). 