An oro-pharyngeal airway includes external air passages (28) formed between it and the facing surfaces of the patient's throat for continuous breathing by the patient. The open-ended passage (26) of conduit (24) transmits exhaled breath of the patient directly from the distal end of the airway at the larynx into the plenum (50) at the proximal end of the airway, and the breath is extracted radially from the plenum though the conduit section (34) and is analyzed by monitor (40). Alternatively, oxygen can be provided from source (42) through the converging conduit section (32) of the elongated body, and mucus, etc. can be aspirated from the larynx area of the throat by suction pump (44). These functions can take place without the need for additional intubation of the patient.