LOW RESISTANCE DOUBLE-LUMEN ENDOBRONCHIAL TUBES

Comparison of the resistances of double-lumen endobronchial tubes.

The resistance of commonly-used double-lumen endobronchial tubes were measured and a detailed comparison made. Robertshaw tubes were generally found to have a lower resistance than either the Carlens or the White tubes of equivalent size, but this was not so in every case. The White tubes had a disproportionately high resistance associated with the upper lobe orifice when compared with the resi...

Double-Lumen Endotracheal Tubes

Placement of double-lumen endobronchial tubes. Correlation between clinical impressions and bronchoscopic findings.

Double-lumen endobronchial tubes were placed "blindly" in 23 patients undergoing thoracotomy. Clinical criteria suggested satisfactory positioning in all cases; however, subsequent fibreoptic bronchoscopy revealed malposition in 48%. Bronchoscopic findings included the inability to view the bronchial cuff, narrowing of the bronchial lumen of the tube at the level of the cuff and herniation of t...

Modified and newly designed right-sided double-lumen endobronchial tubes are complementary.

To the Editor:—We read with great interest the case report on the application of a newly designed right-sided, double-lumen endobronchial tube (R-DLT) in patients with a very short right mainstem bronchus. However, in citing our work on the improvement of the endobronchial positioning of the R-DLT, Hagihira et al. stated that we modified the design of the bronchial cuff and that these changes s...

Airway rupture from double-lumen tubes.

A DOUBLE-CUFFED double-lumen endobronchial tube (DLT) was used for the first time during thoracic surgery almost 50 years ago to isolate and selectively ventilate the lungs. The benefits of DLTs in terms of improved surgical exposure mad their ability to isolate and protect the lungs during thoracic operations are now widely recognized. Although DLTs are safe and easy to use, complications occu...