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In anesthesia, the Mallampati score or Mallampati classification, named after the Indian anaesthesiologist Seshagiri Mallampati, is used to predict the ease of endotracheal intubation. [1] The test comprises a visual assessment of the distance from the tongue base to the roof of the mouth, and therefore the amount of space in which there is to ...
An important aspect of pre-anaesthetic evaluation is an assessment of the patient's airway, involving inspection of the mouth opening and visualisation of the soft tissues of the pharynx. [19] The condition of teeth and location of dental crowns are checked, and neck flexibility and head extension are observed.
Basic airway management is a concept and set of medical procedures performed to prevent and treat airway obstruction and allow for adequate ventilation to a patient's lungs. [1] This is accomplished by clearing or preventing obstructions of airways.
The Cormack–Lehane system classifies views obtained by direct laryngoscopy based on the structures seen. It was initially described by R.S. Cormack and J. Lehane in 1984 as a way of simulating potential scenarios that trainee anaesthetists might face.
Advanced airway management can be performed "blindly" or with visualization of the glottis by using a laryngoscope. Advanced airway management is frequently performed in the critically injured, those with extensive pulmonary disease, or anesthetized patients to facilitate oxygenation and mechanical ventilation.
Therefore, the anesthetist should perform an airway exam that includes a Mallampati score, mouth opening assessment, and Thyromental distance. If the patient is deemed to have a difficult airway, there should be adequate resources in case airway intervention is required.
To determine the depth of anesthesia, the anesthetist relies on a series of physical signs of the patient. In 1847, John Snow (1813–1858) [1] and Francis Plomley [2] attempted to describe various stages of general anesthesia, but Guedel in 1937 described a detailed system which was generally accepted. [3] [4] [5]
An oropharyngeal airway (also known as an oral airway, OPA or Guedel pattern airway) is a medical device called an airway adjunct used in airway management to maintain or open a patient's airway. It does this by preventing the tongue from covering the epiglottis, which could prevent the person from breathing. When a person becomes unconscious ...