Difficult Airway Society (DAS)

The Difficult Airway Society is a UK-based medical specialist society formed to further management of the airway of patients by anaesthetists and other critical care practitioners.

It developed from the interest of a number of anaesthetists who met at a fibreoptic intubation meetings held at Guy’s Hospital, London once or twice a year from 1987. The first of these was organised by Dr Ray Towey to promote the role and use of fibreoptic intubation in management of the difficult airway. He had published work on fibreoptic intubation in 1972 and later joined the staff of Guy’s Hospital in central London, UK as a Consultant Anaesthetist. The regular meetings established the principles of care and cleaning of the fibrescope and its use in the awake and anaesthetised patient. A complete set of educational booklets from each meeting has been maintained.