Airway POCUS. Perspectives on clinical usefulness in scanning the airway

Airway point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has the potential to make airway assessment and planning more accurate and complete. Studies have examined feasibility and usefulness of POCUS to predict and facilitate difficult airway management. This paper presents a brief overview of contemporary POCUS airway applications and current opinion on their place in clinical practice. Despite evidence, infraglottic airway assessment and its potential to improve patient safety remains relatively underused. A case series is presented to illustrate the translation of POCUS training to real life routine and acute practice. For each case, how ultrasound contributed to decision-making, preparedness, and successful management of challenging airways is highlighted. Understanding the airway’s true orientation and midline through imaging helps prevent failed front-of-neck access (FONA) attempts and supports deliberate, safe airway strategies. Wider adoption, structured training, and further research are needed to standardize POCUS airway techniques and evaluate their impact on patient outcomes.