Do we need a sniff position pillow for endotracheal intubation?
Many skillful laryngoscopists may intubate a patient without using any pillow. Why do we need a sniff pillow to intubate a patient? Successful laryngoscopy involves the distortion of the normal anatomic plane of the supralaryngeal airway to produce a line of direct visualization from the operator’s eye to the larynx: this requires alignment of the oral, pharyngeal, and laryngeal axes (7). Thus, the answer for this question is that without the sniff position pillow or blankets the operators or laryngoscopists create a sniff position by lifting the chin up with a laryngoscope. When the chin is lifted up, the head falls backward in extension; this is the sniff position. Actually, this is a phenomenon for the operator’s daily routine.
