Which statement is true about airway control in the PAI environment?

• A. The head-tilt is the only recognized method
• B. Airway control is not used
• C. Any of several methods can be used interchangeably
• D. The jaw-thrust is the only recognized method

Answer: (A)

In the PAI environment, the airway is opened using the head-tilt chin-lift because it is quick, simple, and teachable to a bystander over the phone. Tilting the head back and lifting the chin aligns the airway and moves the tongue away from the airway, producing the fastest potential relief of obstruction without needing equipment. This makes it the recognized default method in dispatch guidance, since it minimizes complexity and can be applied immediately by untrained callers.

Other methods require more assessment or technique, such as evaluating for potential neck injury before moving the head, which isn’t practical for generic dispatch instructions. Jaw-thrust, while important when cervical spine injury is suspected, adds complexity and is not the standard default taught for broad, non-clinician callers. So, while airway control is indeed used, the head-tilt approach is the standard method in the PAI context.