Observational studyAnaesthesiology intensive therapy2020
A new simple score for prediction of difficult laryngoscopy: the EL.GA+ score.
Observational study in Anaesthesiology intensive therapy, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- Evaluation of preoperative difficult airway prediction methods for adult patients without obvious airway abnormalities: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC anesthesiology · 2024Pooled it
- Preoperative video laryngoscopic examination for difficult intubation in obese patients.Die Anaesthesiologie · 2026Article
- Systematic preoperative approach for bariatric surgery, perioperative results, and economic impact.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Awake Nasal Fiberoptic Intubation in Lateral Position for Severely Obese Patients with Anticipated Difficult Airway: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPreoperative airway assessment plays a key role in the context of difficult airway management. Several scores have been proposed to predict difficult intubation including the el-Ganzouri index (EL.GA). Anatomical parameters such as the opening of the mouth or the circumference of the neck (which currently is not usually evaluated) are used to predict difficult intubation. The nutritional status of super-morbid obesity (body mass index [BMI] > 50 kg m-2) is a recognised risk factor for difficult intubation.
methodsThis is a single-centre, retrospective, observational study whose aim is to validate an additional parameter (anatomical plus nutritional) to the El.GA index, hence the choice of the acronym for the definition of the study: EL.GA+, in predictivity of airway management; multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the predictive role of BMI, neck circumference and opening of the mouth of intubation difficulty measured with the gold standard.
resultsIn total, 240 patients who had an elective surgical procedure under general anaesthesia, requiring endotracheal intubation, were examined. The predictive value of the EL.GA score was confirmed by the values of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) according to the data reported in the literature. Furthermore, based on the values of the PPV and NPV (0.69 and 0.60 respectively), neck circumference of 42.5 cm can be taken as a cut-off value for which EL.GA+ becomes predictive of difficult intubation in patients with mild obesity (BMI of 30 to 35).
conclusionsThe EL.GA+ score greatly increases the prediction of difficult laryngoscopy in mildly obese patients.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.