What Causes a Difficult Airway

The incidence of the difficult airway characteristics was as follows: obesity (29%), short neck (22%), secretions (20%), small mandible (14%), blood present (13%), large tongue (11%), limited mouth opening (11%), vomit present (6%), airway edema (6%), cervical immobility (3%), and facial or neck trauma (1%).

What makes a difficult airway?

The American Society of Anesthesiologists defines a difficult airway as existing when “a conventionally trained anesthesiologist experiences difficulty with facemask ventilation of the upper airway, difficulty with tracheal intubation, or both.”[1] Canadian guidelines are broader, defining it as where “an experienced …

How can you tell if you have a hard airway?

In the presence of pre-existing airway pathology, symptoms suggestive of impending airway obstruction should be identified. These include the presence of stridor, hoarseness, voice change, dysphagia and difficulty lying flat.