Change in management of predicted difficult airways following introduction of video laryngoscopes

Table 2 Patient characteristics n (%)

	Pre-VL	Post-VL
	Mean ± SD	Mean ± SD	P value
Age	55 ± 14	57 ± 14	0.2435
Height (m)	1.71 ± 0.11	1.69 ± 0.11	0.0658
Weight (kg)	108 ± 30	97 ± 26	0.00011
BMI	37 ± 10	34 ± 9	0.00141
ASA Status	2.67 ± 0.62	2.73 ± 0.67	0.3145
Composite Airway Score	4.83 ± 1.21	4.79 ± 1.22	0.7711
	Count (%)	Count (%)
Gender			0.4546
Female	105 (51)	139 (55)
Male	101 (49)	116 (45)
Mallampati score			0.04811
1	5 (2)	6 (2)
2	89 (43)	85 (33)
3	112 (54)	164 (64)
Interincisor gap			0.9033
> 4 cm	142 (69)	180 (71)
< 4 cm	63 (31)	73 (29)
Cannot open mouth	0 (0)	2 (1)
Neck range of motion			0.00841
> 90°	149 (73)	152 (60)
90°	37 (18)	69 (27)
< 90°	19 (9)	34 (13)
Ability to prognath			0.3058
Can prognath	157 (77)	187 (73)
Can approximate teeth	46 (22)	62 (24)
Cannot approximate teeth	2 (1)	6 (3)
Thyromental distance (cm)			0.6811
> 6.5	60 (29)	69 (27)
6.0 – 6.5	128 (62)	162 (64)
< 6.0	18 (8)	24 (9)
Known previous difficult intubation			0.1740
None	162 (79)	213 (84)
Questionable	24 (12)	26 (10)
Definite	19 (9)	16 (6)
Surgery type			0.00851
General	64 (31)	55 (22)
Gynecologic	24 (12)	27 (11)
Neurosurgery	20 (10)	56 (22)
Orthopedic	15 (7)	16 (6)
Other	37 (18)	47 (19)
Spine	38 (18)	36 (14)
Vascular	8 (4)	16 (6)

¹Significantly different between Pre-VL and Post-VL groups. P-value and odd ratio calculated with χ² test and Mantel-Haenszel χ² test. SD: Standard deviation; VL: Video laryngoscope; FOI: Fiberoptic intubation; DL: Direct laryngoscopy.