Airway management in the obese patient

Any patient can have a difficult airway, but obese patients have anatomic and physiologic features that can make airway management particularly challenging. Obesity does not seem to be an independent risk factor for difficult intubation but is one of the several factors that need to be considered as part of an airway evaluation. To effectively manage airways in obese patients, health care providers working in the intensive care unit setting must be proficient in airway evaluation and management in all types of patients. This article discusses the risk factors for a difficult airway and the methods of managing the airway.