Does the Airway Examination Predict Difficult Airway Management?

Adverse respiratory events accounted for 25% of claims against anesthesiologists during the period of 2000 to 2012. The 4th National Audit Project gave a point estimate of one airway-related death per 180,000 general anesthetic procedures and a 1 in 22,000 incidence of adverse airway events. Better prediction of and preparation for difficult airway management could lead to a reduction in adverse airway events. Preoperative evaluation of the airway can be accomplished by a thorough history and physical examination as related to the airway; in addition, various measurements of anatomic features and noninvasive clinical tests can be performed to enhance this assessment. In this chapter, we will review the multitude of airway assessment tests and discuss their utility in identifying and preparing for potential difficult airway management.