Figure 1.

Glottic impersonation. Blanching of the lateral aspects of the oesophageal opening (below) due to forceful laryngoscopy may lead it to be mistaken for the glottis (above). Careful attention by an experienced practitioner should enable the oesophageal and glottic openings to be distinguished. However, confusion may be more likely when intubation is challenging, with the potential combination of one or more of excessively deep blade insertion, aggressive laryngoscopy, time pressure, expectation of seeing the larynx, impaired decision‐making and a restricted view that does not reveal the larynx above (see box). Photo reproduced from original publication in Canadian Journal of Anesthesia [49] with permission. White box was added for this guideline.