Altered mental status can affect the airway by causing what change in muscle tone?

• A. Increased tone stabilizing the airway
• B. No change in muscle tone
• C. Decreased tone allowing airway collapse
• D. Involuntary spasms opening the airway

Answer: (C)

Altered mental status reduces the tone of the muscles that keep the airway open. When consciousness is depressed, the tongue and pharyngeal muscles relax, making the airway more prone to sagging or collapsing and causing partial or complete obstruction. That relaxation directly explains why airflow can be compromised in AMS, which is why maintaining patency often requires repositioning, suction, or airway adjuncts. The other ideas don’t fit because increased muscle tone would tend to stabilize the airway, no change in tone wouldn’t explain obstruction, and involuntary spasms opening the airway are not typical in altered consciousness.