ABSTRACT
However, assessment can be difficult and most tests used in adult practice including the Mallampati scoring2
system and measurements of thyromental distance are not validated for the paediatric population, and are often not useful, particularly in the younger child. Attempts have been made to define what actually constitutes a difficult intubation. This has mainly been discussed with reference to the adult population and consists of either assessment of the number of attempts required to achieve tracheal intubation in a patient, (e.g. more than three attempts) the time required (e.g. more than 10 minutes) or the need to use specialized equipment such as specialized blades or the fibreoptic scope (FOS) to intubate the trachea.
