British journal of anaesthesia
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Comparative Study
Comparison of two methods for predicting difficult intubation.
Two methods of predicting difficult laryngoscopy were compared prospectively. Mallampati class and Wilson risk-sum were determined before operation and laryngeal view graded in 675 patients. ⋯ Inter-observer variation was minimal using Wilson risk-sum, but considerable for Mallampati classification. We prefer the Wilson risk-sum for assessment of the airway, while noting that both tests have poor sensitivities.