Using of lateral servical radiography at trauma patients for predicting difficult airway

Airway management is a cornerstone of resuscitation and a skill that is defined as necessary for emergency specialization. The responsibility of the airway management is primary to the emergency doctor and all airway management techniques are covered by the field of emergency medicine. Between 01.07.2017 and 31.03.2018, 97 patients who underwent lateral cervical radiography over 18 years of age who were admitted to Akdeniz University Hospital Emergency Department with trauma were included in the study. The demographic data of the patients, the form of the mallampati, 3-3-2 rule and the Cormack-Lehane classification were filled by the clinician examining the patient. The distance between anterior and posterior mandibular length, effective mandibular length, atlantooxipital distance, mandibulohoid distance, thyromental distance and temporomandibular joint superiority and the inferior aspect of fourth cervical vertebra were measured in the radiographs. The consistency of the clinical measurements was compared with the cervical radiographs. There has been no specific measurement in the study we conducted for measurements in trauma patients where measurements from direct graphs, as bedheads can be useful to us in predicting difficult airway in patients. However, it has been observed that the value of certain lengths has decreased due to measurement difficulties, especially caused by cervical collar. One of these is the measurement of the mandibular-hyoid we detected in our study.