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Mallampati scores of 3 (only soft palate and base of uvula visible) or 4 (only hard palate visible) predict difficult direct laryngoscopy. Researchers in Korea randomized 60 elective anesthesia patients with Mallampati scores of 3 to undergo intubation with either a lighted stylet (Surch-Lite) or a direct laryngoscope with a Macintosh blade. After induction of general anesthesia and neuromuscular paralysis, senior anesthesia residents who had performed at least 200 intubations using each device attempted intubation a maximum of two times.
Intubation was successful on the first attempt in significantly more patients in the stylet group than in the direct-laryngoscopy group (29 of 30 vs. 24 of 30). Mean time to intubation was shorter in the st…