Preoperative assessment of the difficult airway in otolaryngology – implications for operative technique and airway management

Despite a plethora of articles describing airway assessment, there is no magic bullet for difficult airway evaluation. Statistical validation of scoring systems and radiological evaluations appear to be elusive. The reason for our inability to reliably assess every airway is complex. Every airway has a subset of subtly different anatomical variables and when taken in totality may result in difficult bag mask ventilation or difficult intubation. Simply looking at 5-12 risk factors may not be relevant or adequate for an individual.
Source: Operative Techniques in Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery - Category: ENT & OMF Authors: Source Type: research