Displacement of the Endotracheal Tube Caused by Change of Head Position in Pediatric Anesthesia
- 1 February 1996
- journal article
- pediatric anesthesia
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Anesthesia & Analgesia
- Vol. 82 (2), 251-253
- https://doi.org/10.1097/00000539-199602000-00006
Abstract
Displacement of the endotracheal tube (ETT) caused by flexion and extension of the neck and the placement of a tongue depressor was investigated in 10 small children between the ages of 16 and 19 mo by means of a fiberoptic bronchoscope.The ETT tip moved a mean distance of 0.9 cm toward the carina with flexion and 1.7 cm toward the vocal cords with extension of the neck. After the placement of a tongue depressor, the ETT tip, which had once moved toward the vocal cords with neck extension, was displaced a mean distance of 1.2 cm toward the carina. Our results demonstrate that endobronchial intubation and accidental extubation could occur after significant changes of the head position and careless placement of a tongue depressor in small children. (Anesth Analg 1996;82:251-3)This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:
- Mechanism of endotracheal tube movement with change of head position in the neonatePediatric Radiology, 1980
- Endotracheal tube displacement in the newborn infantThe Journal of Pediatrics, 1976
- Alteration of endotracheal tube position Flexion and extension of the neckCritical Care Medicine, 1976