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A nasopharyngeal airway is a soft, flexible tube inserted through the nose into the back of the throat. It helps keep the airway open by creating a passage for air around the tongue and soft tissue. It is often called an NPA or nasal trumpet. The device is used by trained clinicians in emergency, anesthesia, critical care, and transport settings.
read more about nasopharyngeal airway ...A nasopharyngeal airway is used when a patient needs help maintaining an open upper airway but may not tolerate an oral airway. It can be helpful in patients who are semi-conscious, have an intact gag reflex, or need airway support during suctioning or ventilation. It does not replace a breathing tube when advanced airway control is needed. The clinician chooses the device based on airway status, injury pattern, and patient condition.
The tube passes through the nostril and rests behind the tongue in the pharynx. This helps prevent the tongue and soft tissue from blocking airflow. Air can move through and around the tube during breathing or assisted ventilation. Correct sizing and placement are important so the tube reaches the right depth without causing injury.
The clinician chooses the correct size, lubricates the airway, and gently inserts it into the nostril. The device is advanced along the floor of the nose rather than upward. If resistance, bleeding, or severe pain occurs, placement should stop and the airway should not be forced. After insertion, the clinician checks breathing, airflow, oxygen level, and patient response.
Possible risks include nosebleed, nasal irritation, gagging, vomiting, aspiration, sinus injury, or incorrect placement. Nasopharyngeal airways are usually avoided when basilar skull fracture or severe midface trauma is suspected. The device can become blocked by mucus or blood and may need suctioning or replacement. Worsening breathing, heavy bleeding, or falling oxygen levels require urgent reassessment.
No. An NPA helps keep the upper airway open, while an endotracheal tube passes into the trachea for more advanced airway control.
Sometimes. An NPA is often better tolerated than an oral airway in patients who are not fully unconscious, but it can still be uncomfortable.
Severe midface trauma or suspected basilar skull fracture can make nasal insertion unsafe. The clinician should choose another airway approach when that risk is present.
Many NPAs are single-use devices. Reuse depends on the product labeling and clinical reprocessing policy.
Nasopharyngeal Airway. StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513220/. Date Accessed June 18, 2026.
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Nasopharyngeal airway: Product Classification. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpcd/classification.cfm?id=23. Date Accessed June 18, 2026.
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Intracranial placement of nasopharyngeal airways: is it all that rare? PubMed Central. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2564185/. Date Accessed June 18, 2026.