Anesth Analg 2003;97:909-910
© 2003 International Anesthesia Research Society
GENERAL ARTICLES
Failure to Detect an Unusual Obstruction in a Reinforced Endotracheal Tube with Fiberoptic Examination
Matthias Paul, MD DEAA,
Michael Dueck, MD DEAA,
Sandra Kampe, MD, and
Frank Petzke, MD
Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Matthias Paul, MD, DEAA, Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 9, D-50924 Cologne, Germany. Address e-mail to m.paul{at}uni-koeln.de
IMPLICATIONS: This report describes an unusual obstruction of a reinforced endotracheal tube caused by a partial detachment of the inner coating from the embedded spiral. Fiberoptic inspection is a recommended procedure for a suspected obstruction, but failed to identify this valve-like detachment. This detachment was likely caused by re-autoclavation of the tube, which was a specified single-use product.
|
