- What makes an airway difficult? Anything that makes visualization of the cords, or passing of the ET tube harder than normal. This sounds simple, and it is the easiest approach to breaking down the potential difficulties before they are encountered.
- The first consideration is anatomy. All airways are different. The size of the mouth, tongue, jaw, teeth and placement of the trachea all have an impact upon your ability to visualize the airway.
- Other considerations are injury, swelling and foreign bodies. Burns, swelling, hematoma, secretions, aspirated material can all get in the way. They may also be hidden until you are performing laryngoscopy, so you need to be able to deal with these complications as they arise.
| | | |