Preoperative Prediction of Difficult Airway in Children

Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Training and Research Hospital

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Difficult Laryngoscopy; Pediatric Anesthesia

Treatments: Other: Preoperative Clinical Airway Assessment

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07384611

AEŞH-EK-2026-009

Details and patient eligibility

About

This prospective observational study aims to evaluate the predictive value of preoperative clinical airway assessment parameters for difficult airway management in pediatric patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia. Preoperative clinical measurements and bedside airway tests will be recorded, and their association with intraoperative airway outcomes, including difficult laryngoscopy and difficult intubation, will be analyzed. Difficult laryngoscopy will be defined as Cormack-Lehane grade III-IV, while secondary outcomes will include difficult intubation, difficult mask ventilation, and airway-related complications. The study seeks to identify clinically applicable predictors and improve preoperative risk stratification for pediatric airway management. The findings may contribute to safer anesthetic practice in children by facilitating early identification of patients at increased airway risk.

Enrollment: 1,000 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 1 day to 12 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Pediatric patients aged 0-12 years
• Scheduled for elective surgery requiring endotracheal intubation under general anesthesia
• ASA physical status I-III
• Written informed consent obtained from parent(s) or legal guardian(s)

Exclusion criteria

• Patients older than 12 years
• ASA physical status IV or higher
• Emergency situations that do not allow systematic documentation of the airway management process
• Presence of a congenital or acquired tracheostomy
• Surgical procedures planned to be performed using a supraglottic airway without endotracheal intubation
• Surgical procedures planned to be performed using face mask ventilation without endotracheal intubation
• Inability to obtain parental or legal guardian consent