A prospective study of physician pre-hospital anaesthesia in trauma patients: oesophageal intubation, gross airway contamination and the ‘quick look’ airway assessment

Table 2 One method of assessment of the emergency airway

The ‘LEMON’	Airway assessment method (adapted from Reed MJ 2005³³)
L	Look externally for characteristics known to cause difficult laryngoscopy, intubation or ventilation.
E	Evaluate the 3-3-2 rule (incisor distance 3 finger breadths, hyoid-mental distance 3 finger breadths, thyroid – mouth distance 2 fonger breadths)
M	Mallampati Score (≥ 3)
O	Obstruction (conditions such as trauma, epiglottitis, peritonsillar abcess
N	Neck mobility (limited neck mobility)

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