Radiological versus Traditional Parameters for Airway Assessment: A Comparison

BACKGROUND: The incidence of difficult tracheal intubation includes not only difficult and failed intubation but also difficult laryngoscopy (DL) and difficult mask ventilation. AIM: The study was done to compare the sonographic assessment of tongue thickness (TT) and condylar mobility with traditional airway assessment scores for prediction of difficult intubation (DI). SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This experimental, randomized prospective study was conducted in the Department of Anaesthesia, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After obtaining approval from the Institutional Ethical and Research Committee, this study was conducted in the Department of Anaesthesiology, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Swami Rama Himalayan University, Swami Ram Nagar, Dehradun. After obtaining written and informed consent, 385 subjects of either sex between 18 and 60 years of age, undergoing various elective surgeries under general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation, were selected. The number of attempts at intubation, the need for alternative DI approaches, and invasive airway access or cancellation of the procedure due to inability to secure the airway were noted. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Data analysis was done using SPSS 20.0. Categorical data were assessed by Chi-square test, while independent t-test/Mann–Whitney test was used to determine the association between continuous data. RESULTS: Age, inter-incisor distance (IID), body mass index (BMI), and Mallampati score were positively correlated with TT. BMI (kg.m(−2)) >26.0, modified Mallampati scoring >2, IID ≤5 cm, TT >6 cm, and condylar mobility >10 mm were significantly more among subjects with DL and difficult tracheal intubation. CONCLUSION: Ultrasonography can be used in elective settings to rule out any possibility of difficult airway and to prevent airway-related complications.