Three basic decisions needed before induction of anaesthesia in every patient are whether To maintain spontaneous ventilation To use percutaneous techniques for invasive airway access To use awake endotracheal techniques These three strategies are safer than the use of an intravenous anaesthetic with neuromuscular blocking drugs (NMBDS) inpatient with potential airway difficulties, but they require more time and effort, and the anesthesiologist needs evidence on which to base these decisions. The purpose of airway assessment is to identify possible difficulty with direct laryngoscopy agency tracheal intubation, mask ventilation, or creation of a surgical airway.
The potential difficulty may be obvious in patients with anatomic or pathologic abnormalities, and further tests are not needed. Conditions requiring particular caution include: Lesion at the base of tongue, Recent onset of…
