The incidence of class "zero" airway and the impact of Mallampati score, age, sex, and body mass index on prediction of laryngoscopy grade.

Abstract

In an earlier study we proposed the addition of a new airway class, zero (visualization of the epiglottis), to the four classes of the modified Mallampati classification. In this prospective study, 764 surgical patients were assessed with regard to their airway class (including class zero), laryngoscopy grade, and the effect of the airway class and other predictors on the laryngoscopy grade.