Which statement is NOT a component of the MOANS mnemonic?

Which statement is NOT a component of the MOANS mnemonic?

• A. M-mobile neck
• B. A-age >55
• C. O-obese or late pregnancy
• D. N-no teeth

Answer: (D)

MOANS is a quick airway risk check used to predict potential difficulty with mask ventilation. It focuses on factors that can make achieving a good mask seal and ventilating the patient more challenging, such as limited neck mobility, body habitus or pregnancy-related airway changes, and age-related changes in airway management, with a final factor covering another airway compromise. The statements that fit this pattern—mobile neck, age over 55, and obesity or late pregnancy—are aligned with that checklist. The notion of having no teeth, while it can affect airway management in practice, is not included in this MOANS mnemonic within this protocol, so it’s not a MOANS component.

MOANS is a quick airway risk check used to predict potential difficulty with mask ventilation. It focuses on factors that can make achieving a good mask seal and ventilating the patient more challenging, such as limited neck mobility, body habitus or pregnancy-related airway changes, and age-related changes in airway management, with a final factor covering another airway compromise. The statements that fit this pattern—mobile neck, age over 55, and obesity or late pregnancy—are aligned with that checklist. The notion of having no teeth, while it can affect airway management in practice, is not included in this MOANS mnemonic within this protocol, so it’s not a MOANS component.