To the Editor: We read with interest the letter on intratracheal kinking of an endotracheal tube by Lee et al.1 The authors highlighted that, in addition to various known causes of obstruction of the endotracheal tube, intratracheal kinking at the site where the inflating lumen opens into the cuff can also cause its obstruction. Their observation is similar to that of Singh et al.2 where the au...

abstract background: most of the patients admitted in the intensive care units (icus) require an endotracheal tube and mechanical ventilation. in order to clear and maintain patency of the airways, endotracheal suctioning is required. therefore, the least detrimental way of endotracheal tube suctioning which can diminish the complications should be selected. the present study aimed to compare t...

OBJECTIVE Endotracheal tube air leak pressures are used to predict postextubation upper airway compromise such as stridor, upper airway obstruction, or risk of reintubation. To determine whether the absence of an endotracheal tube air leak (air leak test >/=30 cm H2O) measured during the course of mechanical ventilation predicts extubation failure in infants and children. DESIGN Prospective, ...

INTRODUCTION The ever-present risk of mass casualties and disaster situations may result in airway management situations that overwhelm local emergency medical services (EMS) resources. Endotracheal intubation requires significant user education/training and carries the risk of malposition. Furthermore, personal protective equipment (PPE) required in hazardous environments may decrease dexterit...

We evaluated the use of pressure support to compensate for the added inspiratory work of breathing due to the resistances of endotracheal tubes and a ventilator demand-valve system for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). A mechanical model was used to simulate spontaneous breathing at five respiratory rates through 7-mm, 8-mm, and 9-mm endotracheal tubes with and without a ventilator de...

INTRODUCTION The laryngeal mask airway (LMA)-Supreme is a disposable double-lumen laryngeal mask airway that is widely used in clinical practice. However, its use in obese children has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to determine whether the LMA-Supreme could perform equally as well as endotracheal intubation in obese children having a minor surgical procedure. MATERIAL AND METH...

The case of a 33-day-old boy with Pierre Robin syndrome using a Cook® airway exchange catheter in laryngeal mask airway-guided fiberoptic intubation is presented. After induction with sevoflurane, classical reusable laryngeal mask airway (LMA) #1 was inserted and ultrathin fiberoptic bronchoscope (FOB) was passed through. A Cook® airway exchange catheter (1.6 mm ID, 2.7 mm OD) was passed throug...

We present a case of an alveolar-pleural fistula with hepatic hydrothorax in a patient undergoing orthotropic liver transplantation, which was detected by drainage of transudate through an endotracheal tube during operation. A standard endotracheal tube was changed to a double-lumen tube to provide differential lung ventilation. The patient was diagnosed with an alveolar-pleural fistula by dire...