TY - JOUR
T1 - The influence of morbid obesity on difficult intubation and difficult mask ventilation
AU - Moon, Tiffany S.
AU - Fox, Pamela E.
AU - Somasundaram, Alwin
AU - Minhajuddin, Abu
AU - Gonzales, Michael X.
AU - Pak, Taylor J.
AU - Ogunnaike, Babatunde
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists.
PY - 2019/2/20
Y1 - 2019/2/20
N2 - Purpose: To determine the influence of morbid obesity on the incidence of difficult mask ventilation and difficult intubation. Methods: Over a 6-year period, all tracheal intubations in the operating room of a large tertiary teaching hospital were analyzed. A modified version of the intubation difficulty scale (mIDS) was used to define easy versus difficult intubation, where a score of two or greater was defined as difficult intubation. Difficult mask ventilation was defined as the use of one or more adjuncts to achieve successful mask ventilation. Results: Of 45,447 analyzed cases, 1893 (4.2%) were classified as difficult intubations. Morbidly obese patients were not more likely to have difficult intubation [Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.131, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.958, 1.334, p = 0.146]. Factors that were associated with difficult intubation included patient age > 46 years, male sex, Mallampati 3–4, thyromental distance < 6 cm, and the presence of intact dentition. Of 37,016 cases in which mask ventilation was attempted, 1069 (2.9%) were difficult. Morbidly obese patients were more likely to have difficult mask ventilation (OR = 3.785, 95% CI: 3.188, 4.493, p < 0.0001). Other factors associated with difficult mask ventilation included patient age > 46 years, male sex, Mallampati 3–4, and a history of obstructive sleep apnea. Having intact dentition decreased the likelihood of difficult mask ventilation. Conclusion: Morbidly obese patients do not have a higher incidence of difficult intubation compared to non-morbidly obese patients. However, they have a significantly higher incidence of difficult mask ventilation. Other factors that are predictive of both difficult mask ventilation and difficult intubation include age > 46 years, male sex, and Mallampati 3–4.
AB - Purpose: To determine the influence of morbid obesity on the incidence of difficult mask ventilation and difficult intubation. Methods: Over a 6-year period, all tracheal intubations in the operating room of a large tertiary teaching hospital were analyzed. A modified version of the intubation difficulty scale (mIDS) was used to define easy versus difficult intubation, where a score of two or greater was defined as difficult intubation. Difficult mask ventilation was defined as the use of one or more adjuncts to achieve successful mask ventilation. Results: Of 45,447 analyzed cases, 1893 (4.2%) were classified as difficult intubations. Morbidly obese patients were not more likely to have difficult intubation [Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.131, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.958, 1.334, p = 0.146]. Factors that were associated with difficult intubation included patient age > 46 years, male sex, Mallampati 3–4, thyromental distance < 6 cm, and the presence of intact dentition. Of 37,016 cases in which mask ventilation was attempted, 1069 (2.9%) were difficult. Morbidly obese patients were more likely to have difficult mask ventilation (OR = 3.785, 95% CI: 3.188, 4.493, p < 0.0001). Other factors associated with difficult mask ventilation included patient age > 46 years, male sex, Mallampati 3–4, and a history of obstructive sleep apnea. Having intact dentition decreased the likelihood of difficult mask ventilation. Conclusion: Morbidly obese patients do not have a higher incidence of difficult intubation compared to non-morbidly obese patients. However, they have a significantly higher incidence of difficult mask ventilation. Other factors that are predictive of both difficult mask ventilation and difficult intubation include age > 46 years, male sex, and Mallampati 3–4.
KW - Difficult airway
KW - Difficult intubation
KW - Difficult mask ventilation
KW - Morbid obesity
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U2 - 10.1007/s00540-018-2592-7
DO - 10.1007/s00540-018-2592-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 30617589
AN - SCOPUS:85059704081
SN - 0913-8668
VL - 33
SP - 96
EP - 102
JO - Journal of Anesthesia
JF - Journal of Anesthesia
IS - 1
ER -