Utility of ultrasound in airway management

SummaryThe ultrasound probe in the hands of the anaesthesiologist represents a powerful new point-of-care tool for airway management. Ultrasound (US) can help anaesthesiologists locate the cricothyroid membrane before managing a difficult airway, rule out an intraoperative pneumothorax, locate the optimal level for elective dilatational tracheostomy, distinguish between tracheal and oesophageal intubation before initiation of ventilation, and help clinicians overcome many other challenges related to the upper and lower airways. Its utility in general surgical patients, pregnant females, the morbidly obese, paediatric, intensive care unit and prehospital retrieval patients are summarised. Indeed, the general availability of laptop-sized, easily transportable ultrasound machines combined with increasing familiarity with the use of this technology, now makes ultrasonography a fundamental tool in airway management.