The jaw-thrust maneuver is a first aid and medical procedure used to prevent the tongue from obstructing the upper airways.

This maneuver and the head-tilt/chin-lift maneuver are two of the main tools of basic airway management, and they are often used in conjunction with other basic airway techniques including bag-valve-mask ventilation.

It is performed by placing the index and middle fingers to physically push the posterior aspects of the lower jaw upwards while their thumbs push down on the chin to open the mouth.

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation has reviewed various studies that found no spine-protecting advantage to the jaw-thrust maneuver.

"[3] If the patient is in danger of pulmonary aspiration, he or she should be placed in the recovery position, or advanced airway management should be used.