Exam

Mallampati Score

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Mallampati Score, Mallampati Classification, Mallampati Class

  • See Also
  1. Tonsillar Hypertrophy Grading Scale
  • Indication
  1. Anesthesiology evaluation to assess ease of intubation
  2. Sleep Apnea evaluation (experimental)
  • Exam
  1. Assess Tonsil and Tonsillar fossa visibility
  2. View pharynx with mouth open at rest
    1. No phonation (e.g. patient should NOT say "ahhh")
    2. No protrusion of Tongue
    3. No Tongue depressor
  3. Scoring
    1. Class 1: Entire Tonsil clearly visible
    2. Class 2: Upper half of Tonsil fossa visible
    3. Class 3: Soft and Hard Palate clearly visible
    4. Class 4: Only Hard Palate visible
  4. Images
    1. entMallampatiAll.jpg
  • Interpretation
  1. Higher Mallampati Score (Type 4) is a higher risk
    1. More difficult intubation
    2. Associated with Sleep Apnea
  2. However, Mallampati Score 3-4 has been found a poor predictor of adverse Anesthesia events and difficult airway in several studies
    1. Very high False Positive Rate in predicting difficult airway or adverse events
    2. Green (2019) Ann Emerg Med 74(2):251-9 +PMID: 30782435 [PubMed]
  • Resources
  1. Global Anesthesiology Server Network (GASNet)
    1. http://gasnet.med.yale.edu/airway/rec07.htm
  • References
  1. Mallampati (1985) Can Anaesth Soc J 32(4):429-34 [PubMed]