Can Neck Circumference Measurements Less Than 43cm or Greater Than 43cm Predict Difficulty of Tracheal Intubation?

August 17, 2026 updated by: CAMC Health System
The circumference of a person's neck is a useful predictor of difficulty of insertion of a breathing tube.

Study Overview

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

216

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • West Virginia
      • Charleston, West Virginia, United States, 25304
        • Charleston Area Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 80 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

adult patients who require tracheal intubation for general anesthesia and surgery

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status 1-4
  • Receiving general endotracheal anesthesia for surgery

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Limited range of motion of the neck or jaw
  • Cervical spine injuries
  • Upper airway pathology
  • Previous facial trauma, or goiter
  • Patients receiving regional anesthesia or anesthesia other than general, endotracheal anesthesia

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Predictive value of neck circumference and Mallampati class for difficult tracheal intubation
Time Frame: During the immediate preoperative period and anesthesia induction (at the time of intubation)
Evaluation of neck circumference (using a 43 cm threshold) and Mallampati classification as preoperative clinical predictors of difficult tracheal intubation.
During the immediate preoperative period and anesthesia induction (at the time of intubation)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

August 1, 2010

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2010

Study Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 27, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 30, 2010

First Posted (Estimated)

August 31, 2010

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 19, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 17, 2026

Last Verified

August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 10-07-2252

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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