Sensitivity and specificity of the airway assessment tests

Abstract

Introduction: One of the anesthesiologist responsibilities is to control the patient's airway. 34 % of the lawsuits against anesthesiologists are due to airway events and intubation difficulty.
Objectives: To identify which one of the prognostic tests has the highest sensitivity and specificity in patients performed laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Method: A retrospective longitudinal analysis was carried out with a sample group of 300 patients who were performed laparoscopic cholecystectomy, in the period from January 2011 to January 2016. We worked with a nonprobabilistic sample of 199 patients.
Results: Body mass index was 24.6 ± 3.9. Age was 42.28 ± 14.6 years. 39 % were men. The upper lip bite test was positive in 6 % pf the patients, with sensitivity being 94 %, and specificity of 91 %. 24.1 % showed Mallampati between 3 and 4, with 86 % of sensitivity and 43 % of specificity. The mouth opening had a sensitivity of 89 % and a specificity of 31 % was positive in 24.6 %. Thyromental distance yielded a sensitivity of 90 % and a specificity of 72 %. It was positive in 14 %. Finally, the atlantoaxial extension was positive in 10 patients, for a 5% with a sensitivity of 3 % and specificity of 10 %.
Conclusions: In the studied series, the difficult intubation predictive test with better sensitivity and specificity was the upper lip bite test.