J Yeung - 10/11/17

Difficult airway mnemonic

From Airway Assessment, ​Queen Elizabeth II - Birmingham, NHS

Difficult Mask Ventilation
​(MOANS)

M  Mask seal inadequate
O  Obesity/obstruction
A  Age >55
N  No teeth
S  Stiff lungs/sleep apnoea

Difficult Supra Glottic Airways Insertion (RODS)

R  Restricted mouth opening
O  Obstruction
D  Distorted anatomy (surgery/infection/trauma/tumour)
S  Stiff lungs

Difficult Laryngoscopy 
​(LEMON)

L  Look externally (beard, small chin, buck teeth, facial trauma, airway bleeding)
E  Evaluate 3,3,2 - caution if  intercisor <3, mentohyoid <3, Thyrohyoid <2 (finger breadths)
M  Mallampati score >3
O  Obesity/obstruction
N  Neck pathology (immobilisation/surgery)

Difficult Surgical Cricothyroidotomy 
(SHORT)

S  Surgery to neck
H  Haematoma to neck
O  Obesity
R  Radiotherapy to neck
​T  Tumour