1st International Conference on Recent Advances in Anaesthesiology (INCRAA - 2009), 30 Jan – 01 Feb 2009 · Nehru Auditorium, AIIMS New Delhi

Background: There are no prospective studies that evaluated airway changes during labour. The authors have performed this study was to evaluate airway changes in women undergoing labour and delivery. Methods: Two studies were undertaken to evaluate airway changes during labour. The first study used the conventional Samsoon modification of the Mallampati airway class. The airway was photographed at the onset and the end of labour. Women with class 4 airways were excluded from initial participation. In the second study, upper airway volumes were measured using acoustic reflectometry at the onset and the conclusion of labour.