Introduction:

there are several difficult airway algorithms; However, some authors consider that the extrapolation of recommendations created for the general population has served as a guide in the management of the obese patient without considering their weight.

Objective:

to determine the usefulness of an airway management protocol in the obese patient.

Methods:

a descriptive and developmental study was carried out in the Surgical Unit of the “Manuel Fajardo Rivero” Hospital of the City of Santa Clara in the period from September 2014 to April 2018. The population was made up of the total obese patients programmed for elective surgery with general anesthesia. An intentional non-probabilistic sampling was performed, the sample was made up of patients who met the defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. An airway management protocol designed by the authors was applied, which included various plans for intubation and ventilation of the obese patient and the usefulness of the protocol was related to variables of interest.

Results:

the airway could be established by conventional laryngoscopy in the largest number of cases (81.3%), a small number of patients (16.2%) presented adverse incidents, the protocol was mostly useful (70%) and in all obese groups, according to the body mass index, the protocol had a high percentage of utility (95.1%).

Conclusions:

the application of the protocol allowed the establishment of the airway and was useful in the majority of patients.

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