Which statement about maintaining airway in flight is true?

• A. Airway management is never necessary in aeromedical missions
• B. Airway management should be avoided to reduce equipment
• C. Ventilation is optional if patient is breathing
• D. Secure airway if needed and maintain airway with BVM or advanced airway

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that in flight, airway integrity and effective ventilation are a top priority, and you act when needed to secure and maintain it. If a patient cannot protect the airway or is not ventilating adequately, you must secure the airway and then keep it patent and ventilated. In practice this means using a bag-valve-mask to provide immediate ventilation while preparing a definitive airway, and, when available, establishing an advanced airway such as an endotracheal tube or a supraglottic device to maintain ongoing ventilation throughout the transport. This approach accounts for the aeromedical environment—limited space, patient movement, cabin pressure, and the need for reliable oxygen delivery and CO2 removal—so the patient remains adequately oxygenated. The other statements imply avoiding airway management, or treating ventilation as optional when a patient is breathing, which is not correct because breathing alone does not guarantee adequate ventilation or airway patency in flight.