In 1983, Mallampati published a letter describing a difficult intubation in a female patient whose mouth could open widely but whose tongue obstructed view of the faucial pillars and uvula.[2] He hypothesised that the size of the tongue was a significant factor in predicting difficult laryngoscope usage since a large tongue would likely occlude the oropharynx.[3] In 1985, alongside his colleagues, he published a paper in the Journal of the Canadian Anesthesia Society that involved 210 patients and studied the correlation between decreased visualisation of the soft palate, faucial pillars and uvula, and its association with the difficulty of intubation. The study showed an inverse correlation and Mallampati proposed an eponymous classification to determine the ease of intubation.[4][5][2]
He later worked at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital for the remainder of his career. In 2017, he retired from medical practice.[2]
^Mohan, Vijay (January 2018). "Visual Assessment Considerations Prior to the Mallampati Score: A Brief History". Journal of Anesthesia History. 4 (1): 98. doi:10.1016/j.janh.2017.11.082.
^Common problems in acute care surgery. Springer. 2013-03-12. p. 172. ISBN9781461461234.
^Eger, Edmond; Saidman, Lawrence; Westhorpe, Rod, eds. (2013). The wondrous story of anesthesia. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 741. ISBN9781461484417.
^Todd, David; Bosack, Robert (2018). Anesthesia, An Issue of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinics of North America. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 208. ISBN9780323583718.
