title: Airway assessment of patients undergoing endoscopic procedures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In advance of endoscopic procedures, an evaluation to assess the risk of sedation is performed by the gastroenterologist. Based on regulations, gastroenterologists are required to perform an airway assessment. At this time, data supporting this regulation are limited; therefore, we evaluated airway assessment accuracy by gastroenterologists before endoscopic procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective, single tertiary care center study was performed from May 2012 through August 2013. Patients who underwent an endoscopy or colonoscopy performed at the University of Missouri-Columbia with documented Mallampati scores were included in the analysis. Three primary cohorts of patients were included in our study: gastroenterologist versus anesthesiologist, gastroenterologist versus other gastroenterologists, and gastroenterologists versus themselves. Data were collected and recorded for patient age, body mass index, and Mallampati score. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and linear weighted kappa analysis for agreement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For gastroenterologists versus anesthesiologists and versus other gastroenterologists, the agreement on Mallampati scores was poor (weighted kappa index 0.103, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.0126 to 0.219; percentage of agreement 42% and 0.120, 95% CI -0.0211 to 0.260; percentage of agreement 46%, respectively). For gastroenterologists versus themselves for the same patient, the agreement on Mallampati scores was only moderate (weighted kappa index 0.420, 95% CI 0.119-0.722; percentage of agreement 65%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gastroenterologists performing a preprocedure assessment using Mallampati scores have poor agreement with anesthesiologists and colleagues and only moderate agreement with themselves.
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Missouri, Columbia.
authors.forename: Kristi T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Missouri, Columbia.
authors.forename: Shoba
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Theivanayagam
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Missouri, Columbia.
authors.forename: Akwi W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Asombang
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Missouri, Columbia.
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Matteson-Kome
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Missouri, Columbia.
authors.forename: Matthew L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bechtold
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000776:Anesthesiology; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003948:Diagnostic Techniques, Respiratory System; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D005762:Gastroenterology; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult