The difficult airway

This is s huge topic to cover.

Try to bring some structure to the discussion

Difficlut oxygenation: Airway can be difficult because of difficult oxygenation, the most basic and fall-back technique being bag mask ventilation; generally due to an airway patency problem (see assessment of airway patency)

Difficult placement/ management of airway device (mostly ET tube and SGA): Can also be difficult because of tricky intubation or placement of other type of airway, mostly types of SGAs, or difficulties with airway devices already in situ

Difficulties can also be divided into anticipated and unanticipated: anticipated difficult airway usually means that an alternative technique should already have been chosen with b ackup plan

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