In an unconscious victim, the tongue is the most common airway obstruction. How should this be cleared?

• A. Tilt the forehead and lift the chin
• B. Utilize a stick or finger to depress the tongue
• C. Open the mouth and slowly pull the tongue towards you
• D. Turn the head to one side

Answer: (A)

Opening the airway by tilting the head back and lifting the chin moves the tongue away from the back of the throat, creating a clear passage for air. This head-tilt/chin-lift technique directly addresses the common tongue obstruction in an unconscious person, making it the best first step before rescue breaths. Tilt the forehead back gently with one hand while lifting the chin with the other to achieve this open airway. If there’s a risk of neck injury, use a jaw-thrust maneuver instead, since preserving spinal alignment is important in that scenario. Other methods that press on the tongue or pull it forward from the mouth, or simply turning the head, do not reliably clear the airway and can cause harm or fail to keep the airway open.