The relationship between the predictors of obstructive sleep apnea and difficult intubation

BACKGROUND: The study was performed in order to determine the risk factors for difficult tracheal intubation in obstructive sleep apnea patients. METHODS: For 115 male patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and who were undergoing palatal muscle resection (PMR), we investigated the correlation between their age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), their Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), their apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), their neck circumference and the difficulty of tracheal intubation. RESULTS: The factors significantly related to difficult tracheal intubation in obstructive sleep apnea patients were a high AHI and a large neck circumference. There was no significant correlation between weight, BMI, arterial hypertension, ESS and difficult tracheal intubation in obstructive sleep apnea patients. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, a high AHI and a large neck circumference can predict difficult tracheal intubation in obstructive sleep apnea patients.