Predicting Difficult Tracheal Intubation in Head and Neck Cancer Patients with Osteoradionecrosis: Development of the ORN-Difficult-Airway-Score

Key Points

• Tracheal intubation complexity increases in patients with osteoradionecrosis and altered airway anatomy, highlighting the importance of risk assessment.
• The ORN-Difficult-Airway Score was developed to stratify this risk in head and neck cancer patients, focusing on practical bedside application.
• This analysis utilizes observations following head and neck radiotherapy to develop the scoring system based on anatomical changes.
• Further validation in larger cohorts is necessary to solidify the score's clinical implementation and effectiveness.

Abstract