Airway management for peri-operative practitioners

Maintaining a patient's airway is a vital skill that all perioperative practitioners need to possess. Maintaining a patient's airway and facilitating breathing is the main priority in many anaesthetic situations from routine to emergency, although achieving airway control can sometimes be difficult. All health professionals need to be able to safely undertake airway management. The first, key, step in the management of an airway is a thorough assessment to ensure whether or not the airway is patent. This paper will discuss airway assessment and management related to perioperative and anaesthetic practice.