II. Indication
- Anesthesiology evaluation to assess ease of intubation
- Sleep Apnea evaluation (experimental)
III. Exam
- Assess Tonsil and Tonsillar fossa visibility
- View pharynx with mouth open at rest
- No phonation
- No protrusion of Tongue
- Scoring
- Class 1: Entire Tonsil clearly visible
- Class 2: Upper half of Tonsil fossa visible
- Class 3: Soft and Hard Palate clearly visible
- Class 4: Only Hard Palate visible
- Images
IV. Interpretation
- Higher Mallampati Score (Type 4) is higher risk
- More difficult intubation
- Associated with Sleep Apnea
V. Resources
- Global Anesthesiology Server Network (GASNet)