Intubating the Obese Patient

Two tips for intubating the obese patient:

1. Position the patient: build a sizeable ramp to position the patient such that his/her ears are at the level of the sternal notch, and his/her face is parallel to the ceiling
2. Position yourself: keep your back straight, your left elbow in, and lift (don’t crank). If you’re having difficulty summoning enough muscle, try straightening your left arm at the elbow to make use of your stronger upper arm muscles, rather than just your forearm.

Two great resources:

Obese Difficult Airway

Airway Jedi Step by Step (scroll down to the “How you lift matters” section)