ABSTRACT

Maxillofacial trauma often presents a problem of difficult mask ventilation and a predicted difficult intubation. The clinicians should be able to choose the best approach: close monitoring in an awake, spontaneously breathing patient, or early tracheal intubation, balancing the risks and benefits in relation to the patient’s injuries, airway status, warning signs of impending obstruction. This article discusses an organized approach to the evaluation and management of airway in head and neck injuries.