The role of ultrasound in clinical decision-making and interventions in airway management

The role of ultrasound in clinical decision-making and interventions in airway management has expanded during the last decade. The ultrasound modality might be used in the emergency setting thanks to better knowledge of sonoanatomy of the upper and lower airways along with the growing skills in the usage of ultrasound as well as the technological advance. As examples, ultrasound might be used to localise the cricothyroid membrane during urgent coniotomy and even during real-time navigation of intubation when laryngoscopy has failed. It can be used for the assessment of the size of the endotracheal tube, the fasting status before intubation or induction of anaesthesia, it might be applied to predict difficul laryngoscopy in obese patients and to confirm endotracheal intubation. There are many other applications like, for example, ultrasound assistence during percutaneous tracheostomy or the performance of the superior laryngeal nerve block to facilitace awake intubation. Further investigations and more evidence-based data are, however, needed to establish a consensual role of ultrasound in this area.