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PubMed1984

Incidence of aspiration in endotracheally intubated infants and children.

A prospective study is reported to examine the incidence of aspiration in 50 infants and children intubated with a noncuffed endotracheal tube in a multidisciplinary PICU. Aspiration was assessed by applying Evans blue dye on the tongue and searching for the dye during suctioning, in the endotracheal aspirate. Twenty-nine (58%) were medical patients and 21 (42%) surgical; ages ranged between 25 h and 4 yr (mean 18.5 months). Respiratory failure was the major indication for endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation in 26 (52%) of the patients, hyperventilation for increased intracranial pressure in 12 (24%), congestive heart failure in 8 (16%), and protection of airway in deeply comatose patients in 4 (8%). The patients remained intubated from 18 h to 12 days (mean 70.4 h). Evidence of aspiration was found in 8 (16%) of the patients, accompanied by changes in chest x-ray in 5 (63%) patients and a significant fall in PO2 in 3 (37%). Aspiration was not significantly affected by the presence of a nasogastric tube, level of consciousness or ventilator setting. We conclude that noncuffed endotracheal tubes of proper size that adequately seal the trachea and effectively prevent clinically significant aspiration in endotracheally intubated infants and children.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Elective orotracheal intubation and aspiration for microbiologic diagnosis in children.

Endotracheal intubation is generally performed to facilitate the treatment of respiratory failure or to control the airway during general anesthesia. We electively intubated 14 children with undiagnosed pneumonia to obtain tracheobronchial secretions for microbiologic diagnosis. Three were intubated awake, three with sedation, and eight with sedation and neuromuscular blockade. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated in four of six patients suspected of having tuberculosis. Other bacterial pathogens were isolated in three patients and viral pathogens in three patients. The procedure proved useful in 11 (79%) of the 14 patients, with no complications. We conclude that elective orotracheal intubation is a safe, simple, fast, and effective method of obtaining secretions for the culture of organisms responsible for lower airway and lung parenchymal infections in children.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMed1994

Survival outcome among 54 intubated pediatric bone marrow transplant patients.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the outcome of children who required endotracheal intubation after bone marrow transplantation and to determine whether prognostic indicators that might assist decision-making regarding the institution of mechanical ventilation could be identified. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Critical care, reverse isolation unit at a university hospital. PATIENTS: Fifty-four pediatric bone marrow transplant recipients who required endotracheal intubation. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The following variables were assessed for effect on survival: a) the presence of additional nonhematoporetic organ system failure; b) the duration of required ventilatory assistance; c) the etiology of respiratory failure; d) the presence of significant graft vs. host disease; and e) the underlying disease for which the transplant was done. Six of 54 intubated pediatric bone marrow transplant recipients were extubated and discharged from the hospital. No patient with a diagnosis of leukemia or with multiple organ system failure could be extubated or discharged from the hospital. The presence of pulmonary parenchymal disease indicated poor prognosis for survival. CONCLUSIONS: The decision to intubate a pediatric bone marrow transplant patient remains a difficult one. In this population, multiple organ system failure and primary pulmonary parenchymal disease were associated with a high mortality rate. These factors should be taken into account before and throughout the course of mechanical ventilation in this patient population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Postextubation fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing after prolonged endotracheal intubation: a randomized, prospective trial.

BACKGROUND: Critically ill trauma patients frequently require prolonged endotracheal intubation and ventilator support. After extubation, swallowing difficulties may exist in < or = 50% of patients. We sought to determine whether performing a swallowing evaluation would reduce the incidence of postextubation aspiration and subsequent pneumonia. DESIGN: Randomized, prospective clinical trial of fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) vs. routine clinical management in patients after prolonged intubation. METHODS: Seventy patients who were intubated for > 48 hrs were randomized. FEES examinations were performed within 24 +/- 2 hrs after extubation. Silent aspiration was defined as the appearance of liquid or puree bolus below the true vocal cords without coughing during a FEES examination. Clinical aspiration was defined as the removal of enteral content from below the vocal cords, usually during endotracheal tube placement. RESULTS: There were five episodes of aspiration and pneumonia in the FEES group (14%, two silent) and two in the clinical group (6%, not significant, Fisher exact test). Patients aged > 55 yrs and those with vallecular stasis on FEES examination were at significantly higher risk of postextubation aspiration. All patients with pneumonia had an associated aspiration episode. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with prolonged orotracheal intubation are at risk of aspiration after extubation. The addition of a FEES examination did not change the incidence of aspiration or postextubation pneumonia.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Terminal ileum intubation in pediatric colonoscopy and diagnostic value of conventional small bowel contrast radiography in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND: Small bowel contrast radiography is often suggested as the first diagnostic tool in evaluating pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of small bowel radiography compared with terminal ileal biopsies in diagnosing pediatric inflammatory bowel disease, and to determine the success rate and safety of terminal ileum intubation during pediatric colonoscopy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 164 subjects who had colonoscopies with terminal ileal biopsies between 1994 and 1996. Small bowel contrast radiography was performed in 84 subjects within two weeks of the colonoscopy. We also reviewed all the colonoscopy reports from the years 1994 to 1996 and 1999 to 2000 to determine the percentage of terminal ileal intubation. RESULTS: Eighty-four subjects with small bowel contrast radiography and terminal ileal biopsies were reviewed. Using small bowel radiography as a screening test for the diagnosis of terminal ileum inflammatory bowel disease resulted in a sensitivity of 45% (17/37) and a specificity of 96% (17/19). Between the years 1994 and 1996 the percentage of pediatric colonoscopies that resulted in terminal ileal intubation was 21.5%; between the years 1999 and 2000 the percentage increased to 65.6%. CONCLUSIONS: A normal small bowel radiography alone should not be used to rule out pediatric inflammatory bowel disease when the symptoms suggest it. Colonoscopy with terminal ileal intubation is feasible and safe; it should be attempted in all children with symptoms consistent with inflammatory bowel disease.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1984

Prolonged tracheal intubation in the trauma patient.

Over a 15-month period, 74 trauma patients who were expected to require extended intubation were studied prospectively to evaluate the appropriateness of tracheostomy. Patients were randomized to receive either early (34) or late (40) tracheostomies. The patients also were grouped to determine the difference of early versus late tracheostomy on the development of laryngotracheal pathology and respiratory infections; length of intubation and type of patient injury were studied as possible differential factors. Fifteen per cent (11/74) of the patients developed major laryngotracheal pathology as identified by endoscopy, and respiratory infections developed in 54% (40/74), but there was no significant difference in the complication incidence between the early and late tracheostomy groups. Significantly more complications occurred in rigid-posture, head-injured patients than in any other trauma grouping, but there was no significant difference in the complication incidence between the two tracheostomy groups within that classification. We conclude that patients can undergo translaryngeal intubation for up to 2 weeks without significantly increasing complications relative to transtracheal intubation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Microbiology of endotracheal aspirates in intubated pediatric intensive care unit patients: correlations with radiographic findings.

We studied the utility of Gram-stained smears and semiquantitative cultures of endotracheal aspirates (ETAs) in diagnosing pneumonia in intubated patients in a pediatric intensive care unit. The chest radiographs of 35 intubated patients were independently reviewed by a pediatric radiologist and classified into probable, possible and unlikely pneumonias. Concomitant bacteriologic and radiographic information was available in 15 episodes of probable and 13 of possible pneumonia. These findings were compared with the ETAs obtained during the study from patients with no radiographic evidence of pneumonia (N = 21). There was a good correlation between ETA findings and radiographic evidence of pneumonia when ETAs were obtained within 60 minutes of initial intubation. Only a growth of greater than or equal to 3+ of a pathogen was associated with probable pneumonia when ETAs were obtained more than 60 minutes from initial intubation. There was a poor correlation between the microbiologic findings from ETAs and the results of blood cultures and postmortem examinations. Moreover 5 of 10 pairs of ETAs obtained within 18 hours of each other demonstrated discordant results. The ETAs from patients with indwelling endotracheal tubes correlated poorly with radiographic findings and are of questionable value in diagnosing the presence of pneumonia or its etiology in this group. They must be cautiously interpreted in critically ill patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

The safety of etomidate for emergency rapid sequence intubation of pediatric patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether pediatric patients given etomidate for rapid sequence intubation (RSI) in the ED develop clinically important hypotension or adrenal insufficiency. METHODS: Retrospective review of 100 consecutive patients younger than age 10 years given etomidate for RSI in the ED at two academic medical centers. Data were abstracted from ED and in-patient medical records. Clinically important hypotension was defined as a decrease in systolic blood pressure (BP) measurement to below one standard deviation (SD) of mean normal for age. Clinically important adrenal insufficiency was defined as the need for exogenous corticosteroid replacement for suspected adrenal insufficiency at any time during hospitalization. RESULTS: BP measurements before and within 20 minutes after etomidate administration for RSI were recorded on 84 intubations (84%). The mean change in BP between pre-intubation and post-intubation measurements was a decrease of 1 mmHg (95% CI: -6 mm Hg to +7 mm Hg, P = 0.83). When expressed as a percentage of normal BP for age, the mean change in BP was a decrease of 1% (95% CI: -7% to +6%, P = 0.82). Four patients (4.8%; 95% CI: 1.3-11.7%) had a systolic BP decrease to below one SD of mean normal for age. Fourteen patients received corticosteroids during hospitalization, but none (0/99, 95% CI: 0-3.7%) for suspected adrenal insufficiency. CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence of clinically important adrenocorticoid suppression and a low incidence of clinically important hypotension when using etomidate for emergent pediatric RSI. Because other induction agents may also result in hypotension, prospective comparison studies are needed to further evaluate the safety of etomidate in this patient population.

Adrenal Glands↗
PubMed2001

Safety and efficacy of rocuronium for controlled intubation with paralytics in the pediatric emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Controlled intubation in the pediatric emergency department (ED) requires a paralytic agent that is safe, efficacious, and of rapid onset. The safety of succinylcholine has been challenged, leading some clinicians to use vecuronium as an alternative. Rocuronium's onset is similar to that of succinylcholine. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of rocuronium for controlled intubation with paralysis (CIP) in the pediatric ED. METHODS: A retrospective, observational study reviewed the records of patients less than 15 years of age, who received controlled intubation with paralytics at two Dallas EDs. The patients received either vecuronium or rocuronium. RESULTS: The study included 84 patients (vecuronium 19, rocuronium 65). Complications were similar between the two groups. Rocuronium had a shorter time from administration to intubation when compared to vecuronium (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Rocuronium is as safe and efficacious as vecuronium for CIP in the pediatric ED.

Androstanols↗
PubMed2005

Preoxygenation in critically ill patients requiring emergency tracheal intubation.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of preoxygenation with 100% oxygen in the critically ill patient in preparation for emergency tracheal intubation. DESIGN: Nonrandomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Large, level 1 trauma center, tertiary care intensive care unit. PATIENTS: Critically ill patients failing noninvasive respiratory support techniques who require tracheal intubation followed by mechanical ventilation. INTERVENTIONS: A baseline arterial blood gas was obtained on noninvasive therapy and 4 mins post-100% oxygen therapy with a bag-mask assembly. Best effort to achieve a tight-fitting mask seal was pursued coupled with other mask ventilation maneuvers to optimize noninvasive oxygenation and ventilation. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 42 patients consecutively intubated during the 15-month study period were studied. The baseline Pao2 (mean +/- sd) with concurrent noninvasive support was 67 +/- 19.6 mm Hg (range, 43-88 mm Hg) and increased a mean of 37 mm Hg to 103.8 +/- 63.2 mm Hg after 4 mins of preoxygenation with 100% oxygen. A total of 36% of patients had minimal changes (+/-5%) in their baseline Pao2, and only 19% increased their baseline Pao2 by at least 50 mm Hg after preoxygenation maneuvers. CONCLUSIONS: The critically ill patient has little reserve to tolerate interruption of oxygen delivery and, thus, is at risk for hypoxemia during emergency airway management. Preoxygenation efforts as described in this clinical trial appear to be marginally effective in regard to providing a reasonable safeguard against hypoxemia during laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation.

Critical Care↗
PubMed2003

The effect of paramedic rapid sequence intubation on outcome in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of paramedic rapid sequence intubation (RSI) on outcome in patients with severe traumatic brain injury. METHODS: Adult major trauma victims were prospectively enrolled over two years using the following inclusion criteria: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) 3-8, suspected head injury by mechanism or physical examination, transport time > 10," and inability to intubate without RSI. Midazolam and succinylcholine were administered before laryngoscopy; rocuronium was given after tube placement was confirmed using physical examination, capnometry, syringe aspiration, and pulse oximetry. The Combitube was used as a salvage airway device. For this analysis, trial patients were excluded for absence of a head injury (Head/Neck AIS score < 2), failure to fulfill major trauma outcome study criteria, unsuccessful intubation or Combitube insertion, or death in the field or in the resuscitation suite within 30" of arrival. Each study patient was hand matched to three nonintubated historical controls from our trauma registry using the following parameters: age, sex, mechanism of injury, trauma center, and AIS score for each body system. Controls were excluded for Head/Neck AIS defined by a c-spine injury or death in the field or in the resuscitation suite within 30" of arrival. chi 2, odds ratios, and logistic regression were used to investigate the impact of RSI on the primary outcome measures of mortality and incidence of a "good outcome," defined as discharge to home, rehabilitation, psychiatric facility, jail, or signing out against medical advice. RESULTS: A total of 209 trial patients were hand matched to 627 controls. The groups were similar with regard to all matching parameters, admission vital signs, frequency of specific head injury diagnoses, and incidence of invasive procedures. Mortality was significantly increased in the trial cohort versus controls for all patients (33.0% versus 24.2%, p < 0.05) and in those with Head/Neck AIS scores of 3 or greater (41.1% versus 30.3%, p < 0.05). The incidence of a "good outcome" was lower in the trial cohort versus controls (45.5% versus 57.9%, p < 0.01). Factors that may have contributed to the increase in mortality include transient hypoxia, inadvertent hyperventilation, and longer scene times associated with the RSI procedure. CONCLUSION: Paramedic RSI protocols to facilitate intubation of head-injured patients were associated with an increase in mortality and decrease in good outcomes versus matched historical controls.

Abbreviated Injury Scale↗
PubMed2006

Analgesic use in intubated patients during acute resuscitation.

BACKGROUND: Pain relief can often be overlooked during a busy trauma resuscitation, especially in patients who are intubated. We sought to investigate qualitative and quantitative aspects of analgesic use in intubated patients during the acute phase of resuscitation. METHODS: We evaluated a retrospective cohort of consecutive adult patients who were intubated during the acute trauma resuscitation (first 6 hours) from January 2001 to May 2002 at a Level I trauma center in the United States. Patient demographics, injuries, vital signs, medications, trauma bay procedures, and disposition status were analyzed. Analgesia was recorded as the type of analgesic, route of administration, elapsed time to receive the first analgesic, total dosage, and time intervals between two successive doses. Fisher's exact test, chi test, and ANOVA were used to analyze data. RESULTS: A total of 120 patients were included. Sixty-one (51%) patients received analgesia during their stay in the emergency department. Using logistic regression analysis, patients who more likely to receive analgesia were those who did not require immediate surgical operation and were transferred to the intensive care unit (odds ratio [OR]=3.91; 95% CI=1.75-8.76) and those who were admitted during the hours of 8 am to 6 pm (OR=3.17; CI=1.40-7.16). Among those patients receiving analgesia, 30 (25%) patients received analgesia within 30 minutes upon arrival. The mean time of receiving the first analgesia dose was 57 minutes. The average morphine equivalent dose given to the patients was 15.7 mg. The most frequently given single dose was 100 mug of intravenous fentanyl. Most of the analgesics (37%) were given between 30 to 60 minutes apart. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that patients who are intubated during the acute resuscitation probably receive inadequate analgesia. The inadequacy appears to be in the timing and repetition of administration, rather than the dose. Patients who were transferred early to the intensive care unit were more likely to receive analgesics.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2006

Rate and prediction of traumatic injuries detected by abdominal computed tomography scan in intubated children.

BACKGROUND: Recent concerns about the lifetime cancer risk associated computed tomography (CT) caused us to reevaluate the utility of this test in traumatized children. In addition, little is known regarding the utility of abdominal CT in children who have been emergently intubated. We sought to describe the injuries identified by abdominal CTs in intubated pediatric trauma patients and create a derivation set of predictors of intra-abdominal injury in this patient population. METHODS: A review was conducted of patients cared for at a Level I pediatric trauma center. Patients were included if they were emergently intubated after blunt trauma and had an emergent abdominal CT performed. Outcome measures included the presence of an intra-abdominal injury on CT, the need for exploratory laparotomy (ELAP), the findings of the ELAP, and death. Logistic regression was used to determine which variables were associated with an abnormal abdominal CT scan. RESULTS: In all, 118 met inclusion criteria; the median age was 7.2 years. Thirty- two patients (27.1%) were found to have at least one abdominal injury on CT scan. One ELAP was performed and 12 patients died. Of the variables analyzed, abdominal examination abnormalities and elevated liver function tests (LFTs) were significantly associated with injuries. When both were abnormal, 75% of patients (12/16) had abnormal scans (sensitivity = 71%, specificity = 92%, positive predictive value = 75%, negative predictive value = 91%). CONCLUSIONS: In this series, a significant number of intubated pediatric trauma victims had intra-abdominal injuries identified by CT scan. The presence of abnormal abdominal examination findings and elevated LFTs appear to predict an abnormal CT scan.

Abdominal Injuries↗
PubMed2005

Pre-hospital endotracheal intubation and positive pressure ventilation is associated with hypotension and decreased survival in hypovolemic trauma patients: an analysis of the National Trauma Data Bank.

BACKGROUND: Studies of pre-hospital endotracheal intubation (ETI) from single EMS systems have shown contradictory results, which may represent local differences in paramedic training and experience. An alternative hypothesis is that positive pressure ventilation increases mortality because positive pressure ventilation causes hypotension in severely injured hypovolemic patients. METHODS: A national sample (National Trauma Data Bank, 1994-2002) was used to minimize effects of local paramedic training and experience. All patients with pre-hospital GCS < 8 (most likely to warrant early ETI) and ISS > 16 (most likely to be hypovolemic) were included. Patients intubated in the field (pre-hospital group, n = 871) and in the emergency department (ED group, n = 6581) were compared. To determine whether pre-hospital ETI was an independent predictor of hypotension and mortality, logistic regression was used to control for potential confounders, including age, ISS, body region injured, AIS scores, pre-hospital IV fluids, and other variables. Physiologic variables were not used, as they may be influenced by ETI and positive pressure ventilation, and were therefore considered outcomes, rather than predictors. RESULTS: Groups were comparable in age, gender, anatomic distribution of injuries, likelihood of at least one severe injury (AIS >3) and other variables, except for head injury (ED 83%, pre-hospital 71%, p < 0.001) and ISS (ED 33 +/- 0.2, pre-hospital 36 +/- 0.6, p < 0.001). Patients intubated in the field were more likely to be hypotensive upon arrival in the ED (SBP < or = 90 mm Hg; ED 33%, pre-hospital 54%, p < 0.001), and had worse survival (ED 45% versus pre-hospital 24%, p < 0.001). Even after controlling for potential confounders, pre-hospital ETI was still an independent predictor of hypotension upon arrival in ED (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.46 -2.09, p < 0.001) and decreased survival (OR 0.51, 95% C.I. 0.43-0.62, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Pre-hospital endotracheal intubation in trauma patients is associated with hypotension and decreased survival. This may be mediated by the effect of positive pressure ventilation during hypovolemic states.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Prehospital rapid sequence intubation for head trauma: conditions for a successful program.

BACKGROUND: Recent reports have questioned the safety and efficacy of prehospital rapid sequence intubation (RSI) for patients with head trauma. The purpose of this study is to determine the rate of successful prehospital RSI, associated complications, and delays in transport of critically injured trauma patients treated by a select, well-trained group of paramedics with frequent exposure to this procedure and a rigorous quality control system. METHODS: A helicopter paramedic group's database of patient flight records (1999 to 2003) was merged with registry data of a suburban Level I trauma center. Both databases included comprehensive performance improvement data. After Institutional Review Board approval, data were analyzed to determine RSI success rate, impact on oxygenation, delays in transport and complications associated with attempted RSI. Attempted RSI was defined as any insertion of the laryngoscope into the oropharynx. RESULTS: In all, 1,117 trauma patients were transported. One hundred and seventy-five had attempted RSI (74% male, mean age 31.1 +/- 19.2 years, 91% blunt trauma, 88% with Head/Neck AIS >or=2, mean Injury Severity Score 25.6, mean scene Glasgow Coma Scale score 4.8 +/- 2.4). One hundred and sixty-nine patients (96.6%) had successful scene RSI. Seventy percent were intubated on the first attempt, 89% by the second attempt, and 96% by the third attempt. Of the six patients (3.4% overall) who failed RSI, (2.3% overall) had scene cricothyroidotomy and two (1.1% overall) were managed by bag-valve mask. Complications included five (2.9%) right mainstem intubations and 2 (1.2%) endotracheal tube dislodgments en route. There were no esophageal intubations. Four patients in extremis (2.3%) had arterial desaturations associated with RSI. Arterial blood gas analyzed upon arrival revealed (mean pCO2 36.6 +/- 8, median 37). Attempted RSI was associated with a mean of 6 minutes of added scene time. CONCLUSION: Prehospital RSI for trauma patients can be safely and effectively performed with low rates of complication and without significant delay in transport. This study suggests that resources for prehospital airway management should be focused on training, regular experience, and close monitoring of a limited group of providers, thereby maximizing their exposure and experience with this procedure. This is particularly important given the high rates of traumatic brain injury encountered.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1981

The prevention of hypertension at intubation. A controlled study of intravenous hydrallazine on patients undergoing intracranial surgery.

Arterial blood pressure and pulse rate changes following tracheal intubation were studied in 20 patients undergoing intracranial surgery who received a thiopentone/suxamethonium anaesthetic induction sequence. Ten of the patients were pretreated with 0.4 mg/kg of hydrallazine and 10 with saline to determine whether hydrallazine prevents intubation hypertension. The results show that the incidence of intubation hypertension can be reduced using this dose of hydrallazine. Hydrallazine pretreatment is therefore recommended in patients at risk from hypertension following tracheal intubation.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

The effect of sufentanil on the cardiovascular responses to tracheal intubation.

The effects of sufentanil 0.5 or 1 microgram/kg, given intravenously after induction of anaesthesia, on the cardiovascular responses to tracheal intubation were examined in a controlled, randomised, double-blind investigation. The control group of patients exhibited significant rises in arterial blood pressure and heart rate for 4 minutes after tracheal intubation. Heart rate exceeded 100 beats/minute and systolic pressure increased by over 20% in every patient. All patients moved or breathed within 10 minutes of the administration of suxamethonium. Sufentanil 0.5 microgram/kg prevented increases in the mean values of heart rate and arterial blood pressure, although increases were observed in five patients. Significant falls in the mean values of heart rate and arterial pressure occurred from 4 minutes after intubation until observations ended 15 minutes after induction of anaesthesia. Two patients moved or breathed during this time, although movement in response to nerve stimulation occurred in all patients 10 minutes after administration of suxamethonium. Sufentanil 1 microgram/kg was effective in suppressing a rise in heart rate or arterial pressure in every patient. Significant falls in these variables occurred from 2 minutes after tracheal intubation onwards. No patient moved or breathed for 15 minutes after induction of anaesthesia, although neuromuscular transmission was present 10 minutes after giving suxamethonium in each case.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Difficult tracheal intubation: a retrospective study.

This is a retrospective study of patients whose tracheas were impossible to intubate on a previous occasion. There is a correlation between the degree of difficulty and the anatomy of the oropharynx in the same patient. The study was initially on obstetric patients but was extended to nonobstetric surgical patients in order to increase the number of cases investigated. The incidence of failed intubations in the obstetric group over a 3-year period was seven out of 1980 cases, whereas in the surgical group the results were six out of 13,380 patients. Any screening test which adds to our ability to predict difficulty in intubation must be welcomed, as failure to intubate can potentially lead to fatality.

Adult↗