Guedel Airways

Guedel Airways are used to establish and maintain the airway in an unconscious patient. The product lifts the tongue from the posterior pharyngeal wall, preventing the tongue from falling back and obstructing the airway.

It is necessary for all medical devices to meet various requirements related to performance, labelling and safety. The requirements for Guedel Airways are set out in ISO 5364:2016 Anaesthetic and Respiratory Equipment - Oropharyngeal Airways.

In the most recent version, a new requirement has been implemented requiring all manufacturers of Oropharyngeal Airways to adhere to a strict colour coding system to provide consistency between manufacturers and improve patient safety.

Please note, that two of the Guedel Oropharyngeal Airway sizes have changed colour.

These are:

size 1 from white to brown

size 3 from orange to yellow.

The two posters below provide further details on the changes.

Published 24th March 2022