Preoperative Fibroscopy as a Predictor of the Difficulty of Laryngoscopy and Intubation

The aim of this study is the evaluation of preoperative transnasal fiberoscopy, as a possible predictor of difficult laryngoscopy and intubation during elective general anesthesia in an adult population. Transnasal fibercoscopy is a minimally invasive examination and is routinely performed during ENT evaluation; on the other hand, current strategies used to predict the ease of intubation are still not sufficiently sensitive and specific, and an unexpected difficult or failed intubation at the induction of general anesthesia is a seriuos, and potentially fatal, emergency in anesthesia. In literature, a correlation between anatomical and functional parameters highlighted by fiberoscopy and difficulty of laryngoscopy and intubation has never been demonstrated nor indagated. If proven, this might give the Anesthestiologist further information about the expected difficulty of laryngoscopy and intubation, guiding a different - and hopefully safer - anesthesiological strategy.