Ultrasound-Guided Tongue Thickness Measurement for Predicting Difficult Tracheal Intubation: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

This is a cross-sectional observational study in adult patients undergoing elective surgeries under general anaesthesia. The study aims to evaluate whether ultrasound measurement of tongue thickness can predict difficulty in placing a breathing tube (endotracheal intubation). Conventional bedside airway tests, such as the Modified Mallampati score, are often subjective and have limited accuracy. Ultrasound is a non-invasive, quick, and reproducible method for pre-operative airway assessment. In this study, tongue thickness will be measured pre-operatively using a linear ultrasound probe, and findings will be compared with intubation difficulty assessed during anaesthesia induction using the Cormack–Lehane grading and number of intubation attempts. The primary outcome is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of tongue thickness in predicting difficult intubation. Secondary outcomes include correlation with Modified Mallampati score and prediction of difficult mask ventilation. The study will be conducted in 110 patients at PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research over one year.