Clinical evaluation of nares-vocal cord distance and its correlation with various external body parameters.
OBJECTIVE
The optimal visualisation of vocal cords during fibreoptic intubation may be utilised for the nares-vocal cord distance (NVD) estimation. The present study was conducted to measure NVD and to correlate with various external body parameters.


METHODS
This study was conducted on 50 males and 50 females. We measured NVD and analysed its relationship with height, nares to tragus of ear distance (NED), nares to angle of mandible distance (NMD), sternal length (SL), thyro-mental distance (TMD), sterno-mental distance (SMD) and arm span (AS).


RESULTS
The mean NVD of the males was 18.5 ± 1.5 cm, and that of the females was 15.9 ± 1.1 cm. The relationship between the NVD and body height (males P = 0.001, r = 0.463, females P = 0.000, r = 0.555), SL (males P = 0.000, r = 0.463, females P < 0.000, r = 0.801) or AS (males P = 0.000, r = 0.561, females P = 0.000, r = 0.499) showed a significant correlation but NED, NMD, TMD, SMD did not. After combining male and female groups, (n = 100), the correlation of NVD with external body parameters is as follows SL (r = 0.887), height (r = 0.791), AS (r = 0.769), weight (r = 0.531), SMD (r = 0.466), NED (r = 0.459), NMD (r = 0.391), TMD (r = 0.379).


CONCLUSIONS
The relationship of NVD to external body parameters had strong correlation in all parameters in the combined group; whereas when gender was taken into consideration NVD correlated significantly only with SL, height and AS.
Department of Anaesthesia, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Patparganj, New Delhi, India.
Bhuwan
B
Sareen
Department of Anaesthesia, Hindu Rao Hospital, New Delhi, India.
Anu
A
Kapur
Department of Anaesthesia, Hindu Rao Hospital, New Delhi, India.
Sanjay Kumar
SK
Gupta
Department of Anaesthesia, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikisalaya, New Delhi, India.
Parul Bansal
PB
Sareen
Department of Anaesthesia, Mona Vale Hospital, New South Wales, Australia.
Hitesh
H
Nischal
Nares-vocal cord distance; external body parameters; fibreoptic bronchoscopy