COMPARISON OF PREOPERATIVE AIRWAY INDICES, BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), WITH INTRA-OPERATIVE VISUALISATION OF VOCAL CORDS AND DIFFICULTY WITH MASK VENTILATION AND INTUBATION IN SNORERS AND NON SNORERS

Abstract

Introduction : Prediction of difcult intubation before induction of anaesthesia is not easy but very important. 'Difcult airway' is a clinical situation where there is difculty in establishing or maintaining gas exchange via a mask, an articial airway or both by a conventionally trained anaesthesiologist.Here we focussed on the utility of individual upper airway evaluation by physical examination and its usefulness in predicting a difcult airway among people who snore. Aim: Ÿ To Compare Airway Indices, Body Mass Index (BMI), Cormack - Lehane Grading and Difculty with Mask Ventilation and Intubation Ÿ To determine the most reliable single parameter in identifying difcult airway. Methods: After obtaining approval from institutional ethics committee and written informed consent from the patients between 18 and 60yrs of age, of either sex, requiring general anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation for elective procedures the following anatomical markers are measured -Mouth opening (inter incisor distance), Modied MallampatiScore (MMPT), Thyromental distance (TMD), Neck circumference, Neck extension, Thyomental height, Cormack lehane's grading. Cormack lehane grades I, II were dened as easy visualization of larynx (EVL) and predict easy intubation.Grades III and IV were dened as difculty in visualization of larynx (DVL) and predict difcult intubation. Data Entry was done using Microsoft excel 2013 and analysis done using SPSS V 16. Qualitative data was expressed in frequencies and percentages and Quantitative data in mean and standard deviation .p value of <0.05 was considered statistically signicant.