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Controversy persists regarding whether obesity by itself causes difficult intubation or whether obese patients simply have more of the “traditional” difficult intubation markers (e.g., poor Mallampati score, decreased thyromental distance; Journal Watch Emergency Medicine Sep 24 2003 and May 29 2002).
Researchers in France compared the incidence of difficult intubation in 70 obese patients (body-mass index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m2; mean weight, 116 [±22] kg) and 61 nonobese patients (BMI <30; mean weight, 71 [±11] kg) who were undergoing intubation during general anesthesia.
Before administering anesthesia, the researchers ascertained history of obstructive sleep apnea and determined BMI; neck circumference (at the level of the thyroid cartilage); mou…