Great video, but just wanted to copy and paste this excerpt from my EMT book to help others: "Most NPAs are made with the bevel facing to the left. Therefore, they are meant to fit into the right nostril. Before inserting the NPA into the left nostril, use a pair of scissors to carefully snip the end of the airway to change the bevel from the left to the right. Then lubricate and insert. It is not recommended to insert an NPA against its natural curvature because it is likely to rotate on its own after being inserted." What do you think?
2 questions from my side: what happens if you use a smaller NPA, does it still function? And what if we need to ventilate for the patient, do we remove the NPA?
If the NPA is too small, it will not adequately maintain an open airway.. So no, it will not function. He failed to mention how to measure the NPA to the patients size. Measure from the tip of the patients nose, to the tip of their ear lobe (or to the angle of their jaw). This will ensure a patent airway, so if the patient goes unconscious, you still have an open airway to work with for bagging the patient. Definitely do not remove the NPA before bagging. The whole point of the NPA is to keep their airway OPEN in case they fall unconscious, you can bag right away. Hopefully this makes sense.