title: The relationship between the predictors of obstructive sleep apnea and difficult intubation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The study was performed in order to determine the risk factors for difficult tracheal intubation in obstructive sleep apnea patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  For 115 male patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and who were undergoing palatal muscle resection (PMR), we investigated the correlation between their age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), their Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), their apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), their neck circumference and the difficulty of tracheal intubation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The factors significantly related to difficult tracheal intubation in obstructive sleep apnea patients were a high AHI and a large neck circumference. There was no significant correlation between weight, BMI, arterial hypertension, ESS and difficult tracheal intubation in obstructive sleep apnea patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, a high AHI and a large neck circumference can predict difficult tracheal intubation in obstructive sleep apnea patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Busan St. Mary's Hospital, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jong Nam
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tae-Sung
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young-Chul
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Park