Airway management in difficult mask ventilation with difficult intubation – A case report

Airway management difficulties continue to be problematic to the anaesthesiologists as it is the major cause for anaesthesia related morbidity and mortality. Difficult airway includes difficult intubation (DI), difficult mask ventilation (DMV) or both. Most of the anaesthesiologists concentrate on predicting difficult intubation, but give very little attention to difficult mask ventilation. Unpredicted difficult mask ventilation can be life threatening to a patient with difficult intubation as it may result into can’t ventilate – can’t intubate scenario. To secure the airway in predicted difficult mask ventilation with difficult intubation, use of surgical airway can be minimized by implementing the skillful use of alternative airway device – the fiberoptic technique.