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Modified Mallampati classification
Modified Mallampati classification
Class observed (mouth fully open, tongue protruding, patient seated upright, phonating)
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When to use
- Rapid bedside oropharyngeal grading as one component of a broader preoperative airway assessment (used alongside mouth opening, neck mobility, thyromental distance, etc.).
Formula
Classification (not a summed score): grade I-IV by structures visible on maximal mouth opening with tongue protrusion.
Pearls and pitfalls
- Predictive value is modest in isolation; it performs better combined with other airway predictors (e.g. thyromental distance, neck movement) as in composite indices.
- Inter-observer variability is a recognised limitation.