JOURNAL HOME CME HOME THIS MONTH PAST ISSUES ETOC COLLECTIONS AUTHORS REVIEWERS EDITORIAL BOARD FEEDBACK RSS HELP
		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (5) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Makino, H. Articles by Sato, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Makino, H. Articles by Sato, S. Related Collections Airway Equipment

---

GENERAL ARTICLES

The Effects of Tracheal Tube Tip Design and Tube Thickness on Laryngeal Pass Ability During Oral Tube Exchange with an Introducer

Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Takasumi Katoh, MD, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine 1-20-1, Handayama, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka, Japan 431-3192. Address e-mail to tackatoh{at}hama-med.ac.jp

We compared the ease of passage through the glottis of two different tubes and two different sizes of tracheal tube exchanger (TE) during introducer-guided tracheal intubation. One tube was a polyvinyl chloride tube with a standard bevel, and the other was a newly designed tube with a hemispherical bevel. The outer diameters (OD) of the two TEs were 2.5 and 5.0 mm. After the standard induction of anesthesia, followed by vecuronium-induced paralysis, a TE was inserted into the trachea with a direct laryngoscope. By using the introducer as a guide, the tracheal tube was inserted into the trachea. The difficulty in passing the tube was assessed by a blinded observer and graded with a four-point scale. The newly designed tube was inserted more smoothly than was the conventional tube when the 2.5-mm-OD TE was used (P < 0.01). In situations such as those occurring after one-lung anesthesia, when use of a thicker TE is not applicable, this newly designed taper-tipped tube may be considered as an adjunct to oral tracheal tube exchange, using a thinner (smaller-OD) TE as the guide for tracheal intubation.

IMPLICATIONS: In situations such as after one-lung anesthesia, when use of a thicker tube exchanger (TE) is not applicable, a newly designed taper-tipped tube with the leading edge in the midline may be considered as an adjunct to an oral tracheal tube exchange, using a thinner TE as the guide for tracheal intubation.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Suzuki, M. Uraoka, K. Kimura, and S. Sato Effects of using two airway exchange catheters on laryngeal passage during change from a double-lumen tracheal tube to a single-lumen tracheal tube Br. J. Anaesth., September 1, 2007; 99(3): 440 - 443. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Bhatnagar, S. Mishra, R. R. Jha, A. K. Singhal, and N. Bhatnagar The LMA FastrachTM facilitates fibreoptic intubation in oral cancer patients: [Le ML FastrachTM facilite l'intubation fibroscopique dans les cas de cancer de la bouche] Can J Anesth, June 1, 2005; 52(6): 641 - 645. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. S. Joo, V. N. Naik, and G. L. Savoldelli Parker Flex-TipTM are not superior to polyvinylchloride tracheal tubes for awake fibreoptic intubations: [Les tubes Parker Flex-TipTM ne sont pas superieurs aux tubes tracheaux de polychlorure de vinyle utilises pour les intubations fibroscopiques vigiles] Can J Anesth, March 1, 2005; 52(3): 297 - 301. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Asai and K. Shingu Difficulty in advancing a tracheal tube over a fibreoptic bronchoscope: incidence, causes and solutions Br. J. Anaesth., June 1, 2004; 92(6): 870 - 881. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Anesthesia & Analgesia® is published for the International Anesthesia Research Society® by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins with the assistance of Stanford University Libraries' HighWire Press®. Copyright 2006 by the International Anesthesia Research Society. Online ISSN: 1526-7598   Print ISSN: 0003-2999