ABSTRACT
Background
Anticipating a difficult airway is of prime importance to an anesthesiologist. Data available are inconclusive to say that tracheal intubation is more difficult in the obese. The deficiency occurring with individual factors can be avoided by adopting multiple airway assessment factors. In this study, we aim to compare the incidence of difficult intubation between obese and nonobese patients and compare three predictors of difficult intubation.
Study design
Prospective observational study.
Materials and methods
About 250 patients were assigned to two groups, obese and nonobese based on their body mass index. Preoperatively, neck circumference (NC), mouth opening, thyromental distance (TMD), neck extension, NC/TM ratio, Mallampati classification (MPC), and Wilson score (WS) were calculated. Difficulty of intubation was assessed using the intubation difficulty scale (IDS). All tracheal intubations were performed by anesthetists with more than 2 years of experience.
Statistical analysis used
Data analysis was done with the help of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 15, MedCalc version 11, and Epi data software. Qualitative data are presented with the help of frequency and percentage table, and association among various study parameters is done with chi-square test.
Results
The incidence of difficult intubation determined by the IDS (≥5) was more frequent in the obese group (88.6% in obese vs 11.4% in nonobese). Of the three variables, WS was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.005). Neck circumference to thyromental ratio is a new predictor for difficult tracheal intubation (DTI). But an NC/TM ratio of ≥5 gives high false positive for our population.
How to cite this article
Mathew J, Gvalani SK. Comparison of Incidence of Difficult Intubation between Obese and Nonobese Patients, and Comparison of Three Predictors of Difficult Intubation in Obese Patients. Res Inno in Anesth 2016;1(2):41-44.
Difficult tracheal intubation in neonates and infants. NEonate and Children audiT of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe (NECTARINE): a prospective European multicentre observational study
