Airway IgA: Respiratory Tract IgA Levels in Anesthetized Patients Undergoing Elective Surgical Procedures

The purpose of the study is to determine the variability of airway IgA levels in anesthetized, well-nourished and malnourished patients undergoing elective general surgical procedures and the effect of gender and race on this baseline variable. The hypothesis is that airway IgA levels are lower in malnourished than in well-nourished patients.