ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a logical framework that can be followed for most patients coming to the operating theatre, turning a daunting situation into a very satisfying one and discusses the airway management in different situations. There are a variety of tools and techniques employed by anaesthetists to hold open the airway. The chapter deals with oral endotracheal intubation. Extubation is often forgotten but it is just as important as intubation. Some institutions allow trained recovery nurses to extubate patients in recovery without direct supervision by an anaesthetist. Awake fibreoptic intubation is the safest technique, although this should be carried out under the supervision of a senior anaesthetist, especially if required for emergency surgery. The patient is awake and the airway is anaesthetised topically with local anaesthetic by a variety of methods or by nerve blocks. Mastering face mask technique should be the primary goal of every novice to anaesthesia.
