title: Predictability of difficult laryngoscopy in patients with long-term diabetes mellitus.
abstract: The laryngoscopic conditions of 62 diabetic patients who underwent renal transplantation or vitrectomy were studied. Anaesthesia was induced with fentanyl and a sleep dose of thiopentone. Conditions for direct laryngoscopy after 0.1 mg/kg vecuronium were scored from 0 to 3 (easy-very difficult). All patients gave their palm prints after operation which were scored: 0, phalangeal areas completely visible; 1, phalangeal areas partly visible; 2, phalangeal areas hardly visible; 3, only fingertips printed. The incidence of difficult laryngoscopy was 31%. The higher the scores in the palm test, the more difficult was the laryngoscopy. The correlation coefficient between these two factors was r = 0.6 (p less than 0.001). Our study shows that joint rigidity possibly caused by tissue glycosylation may also involve laryngeal and cervical areas resulting in a strenuous laryngoscopy. A defective palm print is a warning sign for difficult laryngoscopy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care Unit, Surgical Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reissell
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Orko
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Maunuksela
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lindgren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D003878:Dermatoglyphics; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006227:Hand Deformities, Acquired / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability; D013997:Time Factors; D014673:Vecuronium Bromide; D014821:Vitrectomy
chemical_list: D014673:Vecuronium Bromide