The performance of neck circumference and other airway assessment tests for the prediction of difficult intubation in obese parturients undergoing cesarean delivery.

Background: Pregnancy and obesity each increase the chance of difficult tracheal intubation. This study assessed the performance of the neck circumference and other bedside tests in predicting difficult intubation, and aimed to identify the optimal cutoff point of the test(s) with the highest performance.

Methods: Parturients with a body mass index ≥30kg/m, undergoing a cesarean delivery employing conventional tracheal intubation, were enrolled.

The Performance of the Intubation Difficulty Scale among Obese Parturients Undergoing Cesarean Section.

There have not yet been any studies to validate the intubation difficulty scale (IDS) in obese parturients. Objectives of this study were to determine the performance of the IDS in defining difficult intubation (DI) and to identify the optimal cutoff points of the IDS among obese parturients. This was a prospective observational study.