A Comparative Study of Ultrasound Versus CT Measurement of Tongue and Oral Cavity Size

University Health Network, Toronto24 enrolled

Overview

Difficulty in managing the airway is the single most important cause of major anesthesia-related morbidity and mortality. The currently used clinical method of predicting airway difficulty used by anesthetists is limited and not very highly sensitive or specific. Any additional bedside method that increases its specificity and sensitivity would be valuable. This project is designed to study and measure the tongue thickness and oral cavity height by using an ultrasound scan and comparing them with the same measurements obtained by CT scan. These will also be compared to a more complicated measurements used in previous studies to investigate any correlation with the currently used clinical methods. This information will help us decide if ultrasound may help Anesthesiologists assess difficulties in airway management in a more accurate, precise and reliable simpler method.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

Conditions

Ultrasound Airway Imaging in Determining the Oral Cavity and Tongue Size

Interventions

Ultrasound scanOTHER

Ultrasound scanning examinations will be performed twice (pre-CT scan and post CT-scan). Each examination will be performed by two observers who are blinded to each other's measured values.Patients will be asked to place a small sip of water (20 mL)in their mouth and keep the mouth open during the imaging. A second ultrasound examination of each patient by the two observers will be performed after the CT-scan.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 80 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Age between 18 to 80 Years * Gender: Both males and females are eligible for the study * ASA I-III * Scheduled for CT-scan of the head and neck as part of medical investigation (for test validation part) Exclusion Criteria: * Volunteer/ patient refusal * Language Barrier * Known oropharyngeal, laryngeal or head and neck disease or cancers * Multiple amalgam fillings of the teeth * Past history of oral or head and neck surgical procedures * Past history of burns or radiotherapy of the head and neck region * Presence of any scars, sinuses, infection, swelling, cysts in the head and neck region

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Validity of the assumption that ratio of "tongue thickness/oral cavity height" is a good estimate of the ratio "tongue volume/oral cavity volume" as measured by CT scan.

Time frame: 2012-2013

Validity of ultrasound measurement of the two airway parameters (tongue thickness and height of oral cavity) against CT measurements of the same parameters.

Time frame: 2012-2013

Secondary Outcomes

Reproducibility of the ultrasound measurements

Time frame: 2012-2013

Correlating ultrasound measured values with Mallampati scores

Time frame: 2012-2013

A Comparative Study of Ultrasound Versus CT Measurement of Tongue and Oral Cavity Size

Overview

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes