Are there any drugs that block the epiglottis?

My sister (a technical writer for pharmaceutical companies who is a walking encyclopedia of drugs) tells me that my father aspirated macaroni into his lungs during lunch; she refused to allow medication when they "tubed" him in the ER and the tube was never removed. Three months later - just before his insurance ran out - his feeding tube (she provided staff with a baby-food concoction for them to give him a few days prior) developed an infection and he passed away. She also threatened to sue them for drawing blood post-partum - which they did at my request - to test for Ankylosing Spondylitis. (One of his doctors remarked he thought he may had it.) She had POA, so the blood was discarded and the test destroyed. I hate to ask this, but is there any drug that could have shut down his epiglottis? And is it possible that using a drug to ease the pain of tubing him in the ER would have caused a noticeable contraindication?