Is the ???LEMON??? method an easily applied emergency airway assessment tool?

Abstract

The 'Look', 'Obstruction' and 'Neck mobility' components of the 'LEMON' method are the easiest to assess in patients undergoing treatment in the emergency department resuscitation room. The 'Evaluate' and 'Mallampatti' components are less easily applied to the population that present to the resuscitation room, and assessment of these is more problematical and prone to inaccuracy. We suggest that the 'LEMON' airway assessment method may not be easily applied in its entirety to unselected resuscitation room patients, and that information on the 'Evaluate' and 'Mallampatti' parameters may not always be available.