Evaluating the utility of pre-operative airway assessment for intubation management in difficult airway patients

To assess intubation management in difficult airway patients by performing a multidisciplinary pre-operative examination of the airway using a flexible fibre-optic laryngoscope.

Patients with a known but stable difficult airway were evaluated prior to surgery in the pre-operative holding suite by both an ENT surgeon and an anaesthesiologist via a fibre-optic laryngeal examination.

Performing a pre-operative fibre-optic examination of the difficult airway led to a change in intubation strategy in 6 out of 12 cases. Intubation 'first-pass' success occurred in 9 out of 12 (75 per cent) of our patients.

By performing a multidisciplinary airway examination immediately prior to surgery, a safe plan to intubate on the initial attempt was developed. This resulted in improved first-pass success at intubation compared to historical data.