The Relationship between Orotracheal Intubation Difficulty Scoring Systems and Anthropometric Factors.

Introduction: Although rare, but it is very important to understand that intubation will be difficult for which of the patients. Some scoring systems are available in this regard that influenced by many factors such as body anthropometric factors.

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between Mallampati score, biting the upper lip as well as 2-3-3 maneuver with body anthropometric factors in different population of society.

Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted during the years 2014-2015 in Yazd, Iran. The subjects using simple randomized sampling method, and they were included in study after obtaining their informed consent. Demographic (age and gender) as well as anthropometric parameters of body, including weight, height, neck, waist circumference, hip circumference, body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were collected in a pre-prepared checklist. Then, Mallampati score, biting the upper lip score, maneuver 2-3-3 were examined and calculated by researchers. The results of these examinations were recorded for each person in checklist.

Results: In this study, 498 people with mean age of 42.1 ± 16.1 were enrolled (51% female). Based on results of this study, although all three methods significantly correlated with age but none had any relation with gender. Significant relationship was found between upper lip biting and Mallampati score and all body anthropometric factors evaluated in this study (p < 0.05). By increasing the mean of these factors, Mallampati score increases, while this relationship is reverse in the case of height. In addition, significant correlation was found between maneuver 2-3-3 and weight, height, waist circumference, hip circumference and BMI, while it showed no correlation with neck circumference (p = 0.328) and WHR (p = 0.121).

Conclusion: Based on findings of current study, it is likely that upper lip biting test and Mallampati score have significant relation with all body anthropometric factors evaluated in this study. But maneuver 2-3-3 has no correlation with neck circumference and WHR.