Assessment Of Difficult Airway Predictors: A Prospective Comparison Of Upper Airway Ultrasound And Conventional Anthropometric Measures

Saglik Bilimleri Universitesi Gulhane Tip Fakultesi200 enrolled

Overview

This prospective observational study aims to evaluate whether upper airway ultrasound measurements can improve the prediction of difficult airway compared with conventional anthropometric assessments. Adult patients undergoing elective procedures requiring airway management will be included. Ultrasound parameters such as tongue thickness, anterior neck soft tissue thickness, and hyomental distance will be measured before airway intervention. Standard clinical predictors (Mallampati score, thyromental distance, neck circumference, etc.) will also be recorded. The primary objective is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound-based measurements in predicting difficult laryngoscopy and intubation. The study seeks to provide evidence supporting the integration of upper airway ultrasound into routine pre-anesthetic airway evaluation.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

200

Conditions

Prediction of Difficult Airway Difficult Airway Intubation

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 99 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18-99 years * Patients scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia * ASA Physical Status I-III * Able to provide informed consent * Undergoing preoperative airway evaluation Exclusion Criteria: * \- Emergency surgery cases * Age \<18 years * ASA Physical Status IV-V * Pregnant or breastfeeding patients * Patients with limited cooperation or inability to provide consent * Known anatomical airway anomalies or previous major neck surgery

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound airway measurements for predicting difficult mask ventilation

Evaluation of the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the ROC curve (AUC) of ultrasound-based airway measurements-tongue thickness, hyoid-to-skin distance, and epiglottis-to-skin distance-in predicting difficult mask ventilation. These ultrasound parameters will be compared with conventional anthropometric airway assessment tests to determine their predictive performance.

Time frame: Preoperative assessment (within 1 hour before induction of anesthesia)