The "Simplified Airway Risk Index" (SARI)[13] is based on a multivariate model for airway assessment described by El-Ganzouri and colleagues enabling an estimation of the likelihood of a difficult direct laryngoscopy. The SARI contains seven individual predictors for a difficult direct laryngoscopy, each given a weighted score of 0-1 or 0-2. A summarized value of the SARI score > 3 indicate that a future direct laryngoscopy will be difficult. It is unknown, whether the SARI score predicts difficult intubation better or worse than a clinical assessment. The rationale for this trial was to prospectively compare the effect of the SARI with an unspecified clinical airway assessment on the frequency of unanticipated difficult airway management.