Front Teeth–to–Carina Distance in Children Undergoing Cardiac Catheterization
- 1 June 2008
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Anesthesiology
- Vol. 108 (6), 1004-1008
- https://doi.org/10.1097/aln.0b013e3181730288
Abstract
Background Knowledge of normal front teeth-to-carina distance (FT-C) might prevent accidental bronchial intubation. The aim of the current study was to measure FT-C and to examine whether the Morgan formula for oral intubation depth, i.e., endotracheal tube (ETT) position at front teeth (cm) = 0.10 x height (cm) + 5, gives appropriate guidance when intubating children of different ages. Methods FT-C was measured in 170 infants and children, aged 1 day to 19 yr, undergoing cardiac catheterization. FT-C was obtained as the sum of the ETT length at the upper front teeth/dental ridge and the distance from the ETT tip to the carina. The latter measure was taken from an anterior-posterior chest x-ray. Results There was close linear correlation between FT-C and height: FT-C (cm) = 0.12 x height (cm) + 5.2, R = 0.98. The linear correlation coefficients (R) for FT-C versus weight and age were 0.78 and 0.91, respectively. If the Morgan formula had been used for intubation, the ETT tip would have been at 90 +/- 4% of FT-C. No patient would have been bronchially intubated, but the ETT tip would have been less than 0.5 cm from the carina in 13 infants. Conclusions FT-C can be well predicted from the height/length of the child. The Morgan formula provides good guidance for intubation in children but can result in a distal ETT tip position in small infants. Careful auscultation is necessary to ensure correct tube position.Keywords
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