Indications for Oropharyngeal Airway Oropharyngeal airways are indicated for unconscious patients in the setting of Bag-valve-mask ventilation Spontaneously breathing patients with soft tissue obstruction of the upper airway who are deeply obtunded and have no gag reflex Contraindications for Oropharyngeal Airway Absolute contraindications Consciousness or presence of a gag reflex Relative contraindications Insertion of an oropharyngeal airway may not be feasible in some settings, such as Oral trauma Trismus (restriction of mouth opening including spasm of muscles of mastication) Nasopharyngeal airways may be used instead.