Predicting Difficult Laryngoscopy in Morbidly Obese Patients by Ultrasound of Distance from Skin to Epiglottis: A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Prathep Sumidtra , Jitpakdee Wilasinee , Woraathasin Wisara , Oofuvong Maliwan 
Published: October 2021

BackgroundIn morbidly obese patients, airway management is challenging since the incidence of difficult intubation is 3 times that in normal patient. Standard preoperative airway evaluation may help to indicate for probability of difficult laryngoscopy. Recent studies have used ultrasonography-measured distance from skin to epiglottis and pretracheal soft tissue at the level of vocal cords, and cut-points of 27.5 mm and 28 mm respectively, to predict difficult laryngoscopy. The purpose of this study is to use ultrasonography-measured distance from skin to epiglottis for predicting difficult laryngoscopy in morbidly obese Thai patients.MethodsThis prospective observational study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University. Data were collected from January 2018 to August 2020. Eighty-eight morbidly obese patients (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2) requiring general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation for elective surgery in Songklanagarind Hospital were enrolled. Preoperatively, anesthesiologists or nurse anesthetists who were not involved with intubating the patients evaluated and recorded measurements (body mass index, neck circumference, inter incisor gap, sternomental distance, thyromental distance, modified Mallampati scoring, upper lip bite test, and distance from skin to epiglottis by ultrasound. The laryngoscopic view was graded on the Cormack and Lehane scale. ResultsMean BMI of the eighty-eight patients was 45.3 ± 7.6 kg/m2. The incidence of difficult laryngoscopy was 14.8%. Univariate analysis for difficult laryngoscopy indicated differences in thyromental distance, sternomental distance and the distance from skin to epiglottis by ultrasonography. The median (IQR) of thyromental distance in difficult laryngoscopy was 6.5 (6.3, 8.0) cm compared with 7.5(7.0, 8.0) cm in easy laryngoscopy (p-value 0.03). The median (IQR) of sternomental distance in difficult laryngoscopy was 16.8 (15.2, 18.0) cm compared with 16.0 (14.5, 16.0) cm in easy laryngoscopy (p-value 0.05). The mean distance from skin to epiglottis was 12.2 ± 3.3 mm Mean of distance from skin to epiglottis in difficult laryngoscopy was 12.5 ± 3.3 mm compared with 10.6 ± 2.9 mm in easy laryngoscopy (p-value 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression indicated the following factors associated with difficult laryngoscopy: age more than 43 years (A), thyromental distance more than 68 mm(B) and the distance from skin to epiglottis more than 13 mm(C). The scores to predict difficult laryngoscopy was calculated as 8A+7B+6C. One point is given for A if age was more than 43 years old, 1 point is given for B if thyromental distance was less than 6.8 cm and 1 point is given for C if the distance from skin to epiglottis by ultrasonography was more than 13.0 cm. The maximum predicting score is 21, which indicates a probability of difficult laryngoscopy among our patients of 36.36%, odds 0.57, likelihood ratio 3.29 and area under the ROC curve of 0.78.ConclusionsAge, thyromental distance and ultrasonography for the distance from skin and epiglottis can predict difficult laryngoscopy among obese Thai patients. The predictive score indicates the probability of difficult laryngoscopy.