HEAVEN CRITERIA vs Modified LEMON Score for Predicting Difficult Intubation

Plain-language summary

Emergency tracheal intubation is a lifesaving procedure frequently performed on critically ill and injured patients in the emergency department (ED). Emergency intubations are more difficult than elective intubations in the operating room setting because of the sicker patient population with a limited physiologic reserve and less controlled setting in the ED. Indeed, the proportion of difficult intubation ranges from 10% to 27% in the ED setting , whereas the rate ranges from 1% to 9% of elective intubation in the anaesthesia setting. Because emerging evidence demonstrates that repeated intubation attempts are associated with an increased risk of adverse events, early recognition of difficulty intubation with a systematic use of rescue methods in ED patients is critical. The commonest airway prediction tool is the LEMON score. In the modified LEMON score "Mallampati" was excluded as it was not a pragmatic assessment in the ED. Existing difficult airway prediction tools were derived in the elective surgery environment and may not be applicable to emergency airway management. LEMON criteria was designed for preoperative clinical setting. Hence in this study we are observing if HEAVEN (H- Hypoxemia E - extremes of age A - anatomical abnormalities V - vomit/ blood / fluid E - Exsanguination/anaemia N - neck mobility issues) is a better tool for predicting difficult intubatio.

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