title: A survey of tracheal intubation difficulty in the operating room: a prospective observational study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study is to describe all degrees of endotracheal intubation difficulty among patients attended by eight anesthesiologists during routine surgery over a six-month period. Airway characteristics were routinely assessed preoperatively, according to the anesthesiologists' usual practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Difficult tracheal intubation was evaluated by the Intubation Difficulty Scale (IDS), a quantitative score based on seven variables. An IDS value of 0 is consistent with a procedure without difficulty, and an IDS > 5 with a procedure involving moderate to major difficulty.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For 1171 patients undergoing tracheal intubation, IDS was 0 in 55%, and greater than 5 in 8% of cases. External laryngeal pressure, repositioning the patient and added use of a stylet were the most frequent methods chosen to facilitate tracheal intubation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a high incidence (37%) of minor difficulties encountered during routine surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology-SAMU 93, Avicenne University Hospital, University Paris XIII, Bobigny, France. frederic.adnet@avc.ap-hop-paris.fr
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Adnet
authors.forename: S X
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Racine
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Borron
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Clemessy
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lapostolle
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cupa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies