Intubation Difficulty Scale (IDS)
Intubation Difficulty Scale (Adnet 1997): sums N1-N7 (extra attempts, extra operators, alternative techniques, Cormack-Lehane grade - 1, lifting force, laryngeal pressure, cord adduction).
Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Attempts beyond the first
- 1
- Operators beyond the first
- 0
- Alternative techniques used
- 0
- Cormack-Lehane grade
- 2
Result: Intubation Difficulty Scale 2 — slight-to-moderate difficulty (1-5).
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What the result means
- 0
- Easy intubation.
- 1-5
- Slight-to-moderate difficulty.
- > 5
- Difficult intubation (N1-N7 summed). A complexity score, not a diagnosis.
What you enter
- Attempts beyond the first (N1)
- Operators beyond the first (N2)
- Alternative techniques used (N3)
- Cormack-Lehane grade (N4 = grade - 1)
- Increased lifting force required (N5)
- External laryngeal pressure applied (N6)
- Vocal cords adducted / closed (N7)
How this is calculated
Adnet F, Borron SW, Racine SX, et al. The intubation difficulty scale (IDS): proposal and evaluation of a new score. Anesthesiology. 1997;87(6):1290-1297. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.