Improving Prediction of Difficult Laryngoscopy Using a Combined Ultrasound and Clinical Score A Prospective Study in Adults Undergoing General Anesthesia

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating a new comprehensive scoring system that combines traditional bedside clinical tests with ultrasound measurements to predict difficult airways in adult patients undergoing general anesthesia. The study aims to validate this mixed scoring system by testing it on a large group of patients with various American Society of Anesthesiologists ASA classifications, including both emergency and elective cases. This research addresses the limitations of existing airway assessment scores, which sometimes fail to identify difficult airways accurately. The study involves collecting traditional airway assessment metrics such as the Modified Mallampati score, inter-incisor distance, upper lip bite test, neck measurements, and other physical features. Alongside these, ultrasound measurements including distances from skin to epiglottis, hyomental distance, tongue thickness, and vocal cord distances will be recorded. These data are gathered the day before surgery in preoperative units or patient rooms by experienced team members. After anesthesia induction, the difficulty of laryngoscopy will be assessed, and statistical analyses will identify the most predictive measures to develop a validated scoring system. Participants will undergo standard airway assessments and ultrasound scans before surgery, followed by evaluation during laryngoscopy. Researchers will analyze the data to determine sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of various criteria. They will also perform logistic regression to identify independent predictors and establish cutoff values for the score. The main outcome measured is the number of patients experiencing difficult laryngoscopy within 20 minutes following the scan. The study is conducted at a single center, with plans for future broader validation.

Enhancing Difficult Laryngoscopy Prediction Through A Mixed Scoring System