A comparison of upper airway parameters in postpartum patients: vaginal delivery vs. caesarean section.

Mallampati class has been shown to increase during labour. The influence of delivery mode on this change is not known yet. The aim of our study is to investigate the changes of upper airway parameters in parturients after caesarean section and vaginal delivery. Ninety parturients undergoing elective caesarean section and ninety parturients with vaginal delivery were enrolled. The parameters of Modified Mallampati test (MMT), inter-incisor distance, thyromental distance, sternomental distance, neck circumference were measured before labour (T0) and 1 h (T1), 6 h (T6) and 24 h (T24) after delivery. Overall, 39 parturients (45.3%) with increases in MMT class in the vaginal delivery group within 24 h After childbirth, were more than that in the caesarean section group [24 parturients (26.7%), P=0.01]. In the vaginal delivery group, the incidence of the increases in MMT class at T1 and T6 were similar, which were higher than that at T24 (P=0.015). In the caesarean section group, the incidence of MMT class increases at T6 was significantly higher than that at T1 (P=0.015) and T24 (P=0.015). Our findings indicate that increase in Mallamapti class may be more significant and may take place earlier in parturients undergoing vaginal delivery than in those undergoing elective caesarean section.