Comparison of predictive ability of difficult airway by using NoSAS score,Berlin score and STOP Bang score.

The management of the airway during Anesthesia is critical part of patient care.Difficulty in mask ventilation and intubation poses risk of prolonged apnea,which can lead to hypoxia and potentially fatal outcome.The incidence of difficult face mask ventilation is 1.4 to 5.0% and the incidence of difficulty intubation with the conventional laryngoscope is 5 to 8%.Ensuring optimal oxygenation and ventilation in an anesthetized patient is a primary responsibility of anaesthesiologists and any difficulty in airway management is a significant concern.For every patient requiring tracheal intubation,an airway assessment must be performed to determine whether intubation can be safely achieved after the induction of general Anesthesia.This has lead to development of various scoring system to predict the likelihood of difficult intubation and difficult mask ventilation.The NoSAS score (Neck circumference,Obesity,Snoring,Age, and Sex) Berlin score and STOP Bang score have been developed.Each of these scoring system focuses on different clinical variables,but all aim to improve the patient outcome by identifying high risk individuals prior to anaesthesia.