Background:The need to predict potentially difcult tracheal intubation has received more importance but with limited success. The present study was conducted to assess various airway evaluation indices used to predict difcult airway in Indian patients with diabetes mellitus. Methods: This prospective, observational study was carried out in 85 patients at a tertiary care hospital in Western India. All patients underwent thorough airway assessment using modied Mallampati classication, mouth opening, upper lip bite test, thyromental distance, head extension, palm print, prayer sign and body mass index. Preoperative data of the various airway indices were co-related with difcult intubation to evaluate the sensitivity, specicity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of each test. Results: Overall, the best indicator to predict difcult intubation in patients with diabetes was the palm print (58.7% sensitive; 94.9% specic; 75.3% accurate) followed by Mallampati score (50% sensitive; 94.9% specic; 70.6% accurate) and prayer sign (54.3% sensitive; 89.7% specic; 70.6% accurate). There was a signicant association between prediction of difcult intubation and occurrence of complications during intubation in patients with diabetes. Conclusion: Even though all airway indices have their place in an anesthesiologists' armamentarium, the palm print is an ideal predictor of difcult intubation in patients with diabetes, followed by the Mallampati score and the prayer sign.

Aim: The pandemic by novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the biggest threat to global health care. Routine care of cancer patients is affected the most. Our institute, situated in Mumbai, declared as the hotspot of COVID-19 in India, continued to cater to the needs of cancer patients. We did an observational study to review the experience of managing uro-oncology patients and who underwent either open, endoscopic, or robot-assisted surgery for urological malignancy. Materials and Methods: During the peak of COVID-19 pandemic from March 21, 2020, to June 21, 2020, all the uro-oncology cases managed in our tertiary care hospital were analyzed. Teleconsultation was started for follow-up patients. All patients requiring surgery underwent reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for COVID-19. Institutional protocol was formulated based on existing international guidelines for patient management. Adequate personal protection and hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis were provided to health-care professionals. Results: During the study period, 417 outpatient consultations were made. Forty-nine patients underwent surgery for different urological malignancies. Majority of the surgeries were robot-assisted surgeries (59.2%, 29 patients), followed by endoscopic procedures (28.5%, 14 patients) and few open procedures (10.2%, five patients). Most of our patients were elderly males (mean, 62.5 years). With a median follow-up of 55 days (interquartile range, 32–77), there was no report of COVID-19 infection in any patient or health-care provider. Conclusions: We can continue treating needy cancer patients with minimal risk by taking all precautions. Our initial experience of managing uro-oncology cases during this pandemic is encouraging. Robotic surgeries can be safely performed.