A system of airway risk management in obstetric anesthesia

This article describes an airway management system designed to reduce the incidence of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity during cesarean section. This system was developed from a comprehensive topical review of the literature and implemented in a midwestern community hospital. The key features of the system include a strategy of early assessment and recognition of patients at risk for difficult intubation, and the establishment of management protocols designed to reduce the maternal risk associated with failed intubation.