Obstructive sleep apnea in the adult obese patient: Implications for airway management

Obstructive sleep apnea in the adult obese patient may be due, in part, to an increased amount of pharyngeal tissue. Therefore, there is an increased risk of intubation and extubation difficulties and pain management can be expected to be complicated by opioid/sedative-induced Pharyngeal collapse. (C) 2001 by Elsevier Science Inc.