Voice Analysis as a Predictor for Difficult Intubations

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether changes in phonation (sounds coming from vocal cords that occur when a person speaks) can be used as a reliable measure to predict airways that may be difficult to manage in the operating room.

One of the reasons the Preoperative Surgical Assessment (PSE) is performed is to assess subjects for signs of a difficult airway. At this time, none of the assessments have proven to be both highly sensitive and specific. Multiple studies have shown that specific characteristics of a subject's speech can suggest that they may have an issue with the anatomy of the oropharynx (the area consisting of the back of the throat to the vocal cords). Prior research has shown that studying velar vowel sounds, those vowels that require the use of the back of the tongue to pronounce, can be used to predict a disorder called obstructive sleep apnea (a disease associated with difficulty breathing).

The Investigators are trying to determine whether the development of a simple voice study conducted during the PSE visit could alert the Anesthesiologist caring for the subject in the operating room to use the extra precautions provided for people who have a documented history of a difficult airway. It is hoped that the voice analysis test being developed in this study will have the ability to objectively predict a difficult airway for future patients.