Predicting difficult airways in the practice of an anesthesiologist and emergency physician

Abstract

Difficult airways are the cause of dangerous, sometimes life-threatening complications in the practice of anesthesiology and intensive medicine. Careful detection of predictors is the key to early recognition of this situation.The article describes different methods for identifying difficult airways predictors associated with both individual prognostic tests and an integrated approach based on the combination of methods for airways assessment. The most well-known scores are described: Wilson, LEMON, and El-Ganzouri. A separate section of the article describes objective methods using instrumental technology (X-ray, ultrasound, computed tomography), it notes the ultrasound and radiological signs associated with the development of difficult airways.

Keywords

• difficult intubation
• difficult airways
• difficult ventilation
• tracheal intubation
• mallampati score
• ultrasound examination
• computed tomography
• radiography