Oropharyngeal airway
- Easy to insert and use
- No paralysis required
- Ideal for very short procedures
- Most often used as a bridge to more definitive airway

Laryngeal mask
- Widely used
- Very easy to insert
- Device sits in pharynx and aligns to cover the airway
- Poor control against reflux of gastric contents
- Paralysis is not usually required
- Commonly used for wide range of anaesthetic uses, especially in day surgery
- Not suitable for high-pressure ventilation (small amount of PEEP often possible)

Tracheostomy
- Reduces the work of breathing (and dead space)
- May be useful in slow weaning
- Percutaneous tracheostomy widely used in ITU
- Dries secretions, humidified air usually required