Which of the following is NOT a method to achieve upper airway patency in an obstruction?

Auscultation of lung sounds is not a method used to achieve upper airway patency. This technique is primarily diagnostic and is used to assess the presence, quality, and characteristics of lung sounds, which can provide information about the state of the lungs and airways but does not directly address the removal of an obstruction or the maintenance of an open airway.

In contrast, the head tilt-chin lift maneuver is a physical technique employed to open the airway by pulling the tongue forward and lifting the chin, thereby allowing air to pass. The use of airway adjuncts, such as oropharyngeal airways (OPA) or nasopharyngeal airways (NPA), is a common approach to securing airway patency by providing a mechanism to keep the airway open mechanically. Advanced interventions like intubation are specific medical procedures aimed at securing the airway in cases where normal breathing cannot be maintained. Each of these methods serves a critical role in ensuring that the airway is unobstructed, unlike auscultation, which is not a corrective procedure.