title: Troubleshooting and managing the difficult airway.
abstract: Difficult airways are an inevitable part of the delivery of emergency and critical care. Failure to achieve or restore a patent airway can lead, in a matter of minutes, to hypoxic neurological injury and death in critically ill patients. As with many conditions, the keys to success in a moment of crisis are forethought and preparation. Clinicians should be able to recognize risk factors for difficult airways and plan accordingly. In the face of failed direct laryngoscopy, a variety of rescue techniques are available. Familiarity with many strategies, and practiced dexterity with one or two, should be part of every intensivist's plan for the management of this life-threatening problem.
authors.affiliation: University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: Diane M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Birnbaumer
authors.forename: Charles V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Pollack