A caregiver reports snoring and breathing pauses. What should your airway assessment include?
Combine sleep and daytime history with an airway examination, then assess the need for medical referral and changes to sedation planning.
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History: snoring frequency/severity, witnessed pauses, labored breathing, sleep position, daytime sleepiness/behavior, and relevant medical conditions.
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Examine the tonsils, tongue, jaw, mouth opening, neck mobility, and body habitus, recording airway classifications as descriptive findings.
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Arrange medical assessment for suspected sleep-disordered breathing and incorporate the risk into sedation planning.
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The form and a single airway grade do not establish an OSA diagnosis or anesthesia clearance.