The Difficult Airway Society (DAS) is a UK based medical specialist society formed to enhance and promote safe airway management of patients by anaesthetists and other healthcare practitioners. DAS is actively involved in training healthcare professionals in the safe and competent practice of advanced airway management. DAS has produced guidelines for airway management of patient undergoing anaesthesia. These guidelines are highly valued and widely followed not only in the UK but also worldwide. With nearly 3000 members (most of whom are anaesthetists based in UK and worldwide ) DAS is also the largest specialist society in the UK.
DAS Airway Alert Card Project
This is an ambitious new project launched in the interest of patient safety. Please visit our detailed information page on this project.
Patient information about airway management
The links below lead you to patient information leaflets produced by DAS about how anaesthetists manage your airway (breathing passage) and breathing during an anaesthetic.
'Your Airway and Breathing during Anaesthesia' has been updated in October 2023 as a joint project with the Royal College of Anaesthetists. It explains how and why the anaesthetist manages your airway and breathing during anaesthesia.
Your Airway & Breathing During Anaesthesia (English) (2nd Edition, published October 2023)
There is also an infographic (published February 2023) for patients undergoing Awake Tracheal Intubation (see below).
Awake Tracheal Intubation Infographic (English)
Awake Tracheal Intubation (English)
Awake Tracheal Intubation (Welsh)
