JOURNAL HOME CME HOME THIS MONTH PAST ISSUES ETOC COLLECTIONS
AUTHORS REVIEWERS EDITORIAL BOARD FEEDBACK RSS HELP
A&A International Anesthesia Research Society
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a colleague
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (2)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Amathieu, R.
Right arrow Articles by Adnet, F.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Amathieu, R.
Right arrow Articles by Adnet, F.
Related Collections
Right arrow Airway

Anesth Analg 2006;103:965-968
© 2006 International Anesthesia Research Society
doi: 10.1213/01.ane.0000237305.02465.ee

GENERAL ARTICLES

Difficult Intubation in Thyroid Surgery: Myth or Reality?

R. Amathieu, MD, MS*{dagger}, N. Smail, MD, PhD{dagger}, J. Catineau, MD*, M. P. Poloujadoff, MD, MS*, K. Samii, MD, PhD{dagger}, and F. Adnet, MD, PhD*

From *SAMU 93, EA 3409, Hopital Avicenne, University Paris, Bobigny, France; and {dagger}Intensive Care and Anesthesia Department, Hopital Purpan, Toulouse, France.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Roland Amathieu, MD, MS, SAMU 93 - EA 3409, 125, Route de Stalingrad, 93009 Bobigny Cedex, France. Address e-mail to roland.amathieu{at}jvr.aphp.fr.

Thyroid surgery is considered to be a risk factor for difficult airway management. We prospectively studied 324 consecutive patients undergoing thyroid surgery to investigate the incidence of difficult intubation as evaluated by the intubation difficulty scale as well as other specific predictive factors. The overall incidence of difficult intubation was 11.1% (95% CI: 7.6–14.5). Median intubation difficulty scale was 0 (25th–75th percentile: 0; 2.7). In three predefined groups (no echographic goiter, clinically palpable goiter, and impalpable goiter), difficult intubation occurred in 10% (95% CI: 4.8–17.4), 13% (95% CI: 6.5–18.4), and 11% (95% CI: 4.7–16.8) of patients, respectively, with no statistical difference among the groups. Specific predictive criteria (palpable goiter, endothoracic goiter, airway deformation, airway compression, or thyroid malignancy) were not associated with an increased rate of difficult intubation. Classical predictive criteria (mouth opening <35 mm, Mallampati III or IV, short neck, neck mobility <80°, thyromental distance <65 mm, and a retrognathic mandible) were significantly reliable in the univariate analysis as risk factors for difficult intubation.






Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins Anesthesia & Analgesia® is published for the International Anesthesia Research Society® by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins with the assistance of Stanford University Libraries' HighWire Press®. Copyright 2006 by the International Anesthesia Research Society. Online ISSN: 1526-7598   Print ISSN: 0003-2999 HighWire Press
Copyright © 2006 by the International Anesthesia Research Society.