The nurse,working in the postanesthesia care unit inserts an oral airway into the semiconscious patient to prevent airway obstruction.When should the airway be removed?

A) When the patient can be aroused
B) When the patient is 24 hours postoperative
C) When the patient removes it
D) When the provider prescribes that it be removed

A semiconscious patient can be aroused but is not awake enough to have the airway removed.Maintaining an airway in place for 24 hours would cause trauma to the airway and is longer than the patient will need this to be in place.When the patient is awake enough to find the airway annoying,the patient will remove it and that will be the safest time.If the provider were to write a prescription specifying when to remove the airway,it would be based on the patient's level of alertness.