CT-Based Model Identifies Patients at Risk of Difficult Intubation in OMFS

Background: Difficult airways are common in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) patients. Although various airway assessment scales, such as the Mallampati scoring system and the LEMON (Look Externally, Evaluate Mallampati Classification, Obstruction, Neck Mobility, Motion of Jaw) criteria, are recommended, these are less sensitive and have been known to fail to identify high-risk patients preoperatively. Since the majority of patients requiring OMFS have preoperative CT scans, it is possible to use this information to more accurately and objectively assess the difficulty of intubation. Objective: To identify CT-derived anatomical predictors associated with difficult intubation in OMFS patients and to develop and validate a CT-based predictive model that outperforms traditional clinical airway assessment tools. Design: Prospective cohort study. Participants: 716 adult patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists scores of I to III undergoing OMFS under general anesthesia dur more...