laryngeal mask airway
(redirected from Laryngeal masks)la·ryn·ge·al mask
(lă-rin'jē-ăl mask)Oral airway with an inflatable cuff at its lower end that forms a seal above the laryngeal inlet rather than within the larynx. Used in prehospital care as an airway adjunct instead of an endotracheal tube.
Synonym(s): laryngeal mask airway.
Synonym(s): laryngeal mask airway.
Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012
laryngeal mask airway
Abbreviation: LMAAn airway that can be blindly inserted into the hypopharynx to use when advanced airway control is needed during procedures that require brief anesthesia. It consists of an airway tube with a proximal cuff, which holds the middle of the tube in place at the base of the tongue, and a distal cuff to fix the end of the tube in the trachea.
Synonym: laryngeal tracheal airwayCAUTION!
It should not be used in patients at high risk of aspiration.See also: airway
Medical Dictionary, © 2009 Farlex and Partners