title: Mallampati class does not affect the success rate of intubation through an intubating laryngeal mask airway with reverse tracheal tube direction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this paper was to assess whether the Mallampati class can affect the success rate of intubation through an intubating laryngeal mask airway (ILMA) with a reverse conventional tracheal tube direction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-hundred ASA I-II adults, 100 patients with Mallampati class 1 or 2 (MP12) and 100 with Mallampati class 3 or 4 (MP34) undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia were enrolled. All the patients were intubated through the ILMA with a reverse conventional tracheal tube direction. Tracheal intubation was considered successful if proper tracheal positioning was attained within three attempts. Chi-Square analysis was used to compare categorical variables between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tracheal intubation was successful in 186 of 200 patients (93.0%): 169 (84.5%) at the first attempt. Fourteen (7.0%) had to be intubated using direct laryngoscope. Both the first attempt success rate and overall success rate were similar between the MP12 and MP34 groups (84.0 vs. 85.0%, P=0.845 and 93.0 vs. 93.0%, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tracheal intubation was successful in 93.0% of patients through an ILMA with a reverse conventional tracheal tube. Mallampati class did not affect the success rate of intubation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017214:Laryngeal Masks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010092:Oximetry; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018401:Sample Size; D014132:Trachea / Q000033:anatomy & histology