Ultrasound Predictors of Difficult Airway in Adults

Overview

Difficult airway management is a major cause of perioperative complications. Standard bedside airway assessment tests may have limited ability to predict difficult intubation and difficult mask ventilation. This prospective observational study aims to evaluate whether preoperative ultrasound measurements of airway structures (such as skin-to-epiglottis distance, tongue thickness, and pre-epiglottic space) can predict difficult intubation and difficult mask ventilation in adult patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia.

This prospective observational cohort study was conducted to evaluate the predictive value of preoperative ultrasonographic airway measurements for difficult intubation and difficult mask ventilation in adult patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia. A total of 400 patients aged 18-70 years with ASA physical status I-III were included. Before induction of anesthesia, standard clinical airway assessment tests were recorded, and ultrasound measurements were performed to assess airway-related anatomical structures. Ultrasonographic parameters included skin-to-epiglottis distance, skin-to-thyroid cartilage distance, thyroid cartilage-to-epiglottis distance, pre-epiglottic space depth, tongue thickness, and hyomental distance measurements. Intraoperatively, mask ventilation and intubation conditions were documented. Difficult intubation was defined as requiring two or more intubation attempts. Difficult mask ventilation was defined as the need for two-handed mask ventilation or inability to ventilate adequately using a face mask. The primary objective was to determine the association between ultrasonographic measurements and difficult intubation

Conditions