COMPARISON OF TOTAL AIRWAY SCORES AND INTUBATION DIFFICULTY SCORES IN DENTAL PROCEDURES PERFORMED UNDER GENERAL ANESTHESIA: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Abstract

The Total Airway Score, determined by eight bedside tests during the preoperative period, and the Intubation Difficulty Scale, assigned during intubation, are both used to describe and predict difficult intubation. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between the Total Airway Score and the Intubation Difficulty Scale.Two hundred,American Society of Anesthesiologists ASA 1-3 patients elective dental treatment, maxillofacial surgery under general anesthesia were included in the study. Airway evaluation was performed preoperatively by total airway score which were; Mallampati classification, thyromental and sternomental distance measurement, head and neck mobility,body mass index (BMI), presence of buck teeth, inter incisors gap, upper lip bite test. After endotracheal intubation, the patients were divided into two groups as a healthy group (intubation difficulty scale (IDS)<4) and difficult intubation (IDS ≥4) according to their estimated difficult intubation scores with seven variables and compared with patients with total airway score > 3 in two groups. In this study, total airway score (> 3), thyromental distance (<6cm), upper lip bite test (class III), mallampati classification (≥ class III), inter incisors gap (<3 cm) and buck teeth (> 0.5) respectively 49.45 (95% CI = 4.75-515.45, P <0.05) 7.72 (95% CI = 1.81-32.9, P <0.05), 21.12 (95% CI = 2.31-192.27, P <0.05), 1.92 (CI 95% = 0.51-7.22), 3.54 (95% CI-) 2.31 (95% CI = 0.49-10.78) was detected.It is concluded that total airway score (> 3), upper lip bite test (class III),thyromental distance measurement (<6 cm), which we use in predicting difficult intubation are the most useful preoperative evaluation factors.