Airway anatomy, equipment, and airway management: curriculum recognition: practice question

A Anaesthesia question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Anaesthesia · Airway anatomy, equipment, and airway management: curriculum recognition

Sample item

A trauma patient in a rigid cervical collar has limited neck extension and a 3 cm mouth opening, and needs intubation. Which device lets the anaesthetist see the glottis without aligning the oral, pharyngeal and laryngeal axes?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Hyperangulated video laryngoscope

A video laryngoscope has a camera near the tip of a curved blade, giving an indirect view around the tongue without a direct line of sight. It needs less neck movement, which suits immobilised spines and anticipated difficult views. A hyperangulated blade often needs a stylet shaped to match.

Option by option

  • A. Blind nasal intubation

    Blind nasal intubation is unreliable, can cause trauma and is not first-line in this setting.

  • B. Macintosh direct laryngoscope

    A Macintosh direct blade needs axis alignment, which a collar prevents.

  • C. Miller straight blade

    A Miller straight blade still gives a direct view and needs alignment of the axes.

  • D. Hyperangulated video laryngoscope (correct)

    Correct. The camera gives a view without a line of sight, so less neck extension is needed.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Anaesthesia questions

Questions about this Anaesthesia question

What is the answer to this Anaesthesia question?

The best answer is D, Hyperangulated video laryngoscope. A video laryngoscope has a camera near the tip of a curved blade, giving an indirect view around the tongue without a direct line of sight.

Why is "Blind nasal intubation" not the answer?

Blind nasal intubation is unreliable, can cause trauma and is not first-line in this setting.

Why is "Macintosh direct laryngoscope" not the answer?

A Macintosh direct blade needs axis alignment, which a collar prevents.

Why is "Miller straight blade" not the answer?

A Miller straight blade still gives a direct view and needs alignment of the axes.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Airway anatomy, equipment, and airway management: curriculum recognition in Anaesthesia. It needs less neck movement, which suits immobilised spines and anticipated difficult views. A hyperangulated blade often needs a stylet shaped to match.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Airway anatomy, equipment, and airway management: curriculum recognition?

Make a table of each agent, its key advantage and its main side effect. Then use the flashcards and the other Anaesthesia questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.