Perianesthesia emergency repair of a cut endotracheal tube’s inflatable tube:A case report

BACKGROUND During the perianesthesia period,emergency situations threatening the life and safety of patients can occur at any time.When dealing with some emergencies,occasional confusion is inevitable.CASE SUMMARY This case report describes the rare situation wherein a surgeon inadvertently detached the inflatable tube of an endotracheal tube during a tonsillectomy,and positive pressure ventilation could not be provided.While reintubation may increase the risk of respiratory tract infection and aspiration,patients with a difficult airway might die due to apnea.The best treatment method is to optimize the damaged tracheal tube junction to avoid secondary intubation and ensure patient safety.An intravenous needle and cannula were used to repair the damaged gap in the current case.Following the repair,the anesthesia machine showed no indication of low tidal volume,and there was no deflation of the endotracheal tube cuff.Subsequently,the patient was transferred to the postanesthesia recovery room,and the tracheal tube was removed with satisfactory results.CONCLUSION Using an intravenous needle to repair a break in the inflatable tube surrounding an endotracheal tube is safe and reliable.

Should We Pay More Attention to Endotracheal Tube Fixation during Anesthesia—Surveys from Chinese Anesthesiologists for Endotracheal Tube Fixation and Endotracheal Tube Displacement in 2014 and 2020

Background: Displacement of endotracheal tube (ETT) can result in endobronchial intubation and accidental extubation that severely threatens safety of surgical patients. However, few surveys have investigated intraoperative ETT displacement experienced by anesthesiologists. The objective of these surveys was to investigate ETT fixation method and ETT displacement during general anesthesia experienced by anesthesiologists in China in 2014 and 2020. Methods: A questionnaire was designed with twenty questions and randomly distributed to anesthesiologists in two survey methods. In 2014, we collected responses from anesthesiologists who participated in the 22nd annual meeting of the Chinese Society of Anesthesiology in a face-to-face setting;in 2020, anesthesiologists from twenty-eight provinces completed the questionnaire through an online questionnaire survey platform. Differences in the responses from the anesthesiologists in 2014 and 2020 were assessed with a chi-square test. Results: In total, 568 questionnaires were collected, of which 541 questionnaires were valid (valid response rate 95.2%). A majority of the respondents (65.6%) had experienced ETT displacement, and 4.3% of respondents had experienced serious complications due to ETT displacement. Three hundred and twenty-nine respondents (60.8%) fixed the ETT with adhesive tape in the shape of the letter X. A majority of respondents considered the influence of surgical site, body position (97.8% of all respondents), and age (77.1% of all respondents) on fixing the ETT. Adhesive tape was the most commonly used material to fix the ETT (90.4% of the respondents). Conclusion: During clinical anesthesia, a majority of anesthesiologists experienced ETT displacement that can result in serious consequences. Therefore, the management of ETT should be a priority during the operation.

Endotracheal Tube Displacement during Cardiac Surgery in Infants: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Its Incidence and Predictors

Introduction: With the traction on the trachea and intrathoracic manipulation during cardiac surgery, the position of the endotracheal tube (ETT) might be changed as compared to before surgery. Migration of the ETT during pediatric cardiac surgery is particularly problematic in infants. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, chest X-rays were taken in the operating room just before and after surgery. The position of the ETT among all infants under 1 year of age who underwent cardiac surgery between December 2017 to December 2019 was evaluated. The displacement of the ETT position was examined by measuring the position of the tube tip from the tracheal bifurcation on a chest X-ray, and the relationship between surgery-related factors (age, height, weight, sex, surgery time, cardiopulmonary bypass, tube size, use of tube cuff) was analyzed. Results: Eighty-eight of the 141 patients were enrolled. There was a significant proximal displacement of the ETT tip during cardiac surgery. The distance from the carina to the tube tip after surgery was long, on average 2.5 mm, compared to that before surgery (P = 0.013). Cephalad displacement of the ETT either ≥5 mm or ≥2.5 mm was found in 28 and in 38 out of 88 infants after surgery, respectively. After performing multivariate analysis, the use of un-cuffed ETT was the sole exploratory variable predictive of tube tip displacement (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.10 - 0.93 if ≥5 mm;and OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.08 - 0.75 if ≥2.5 mm displacement;P = 0.04 and 0.01, respectively). Conclusion: Proximal displacement of the ETT during cardiac surgery occurs more frequently in infants with un-cuffed ETT.

A Comparison of Five Adhesive Tapes for Securing Endotracheal Tube in a Manikin

Background: Adhesive tape is the common method for endotracheal tube (ETT) secured to prevent tube displacement and unplanned extubation in an anesthesia setting. However, it is unclear which tape is superior for ETT fixation among the various tapes used in clinical practice. This study examines the force required to move 2 cm ETT and extubate ETT from an intubation manikin with five different adhesive tapes. Methods: We orally intubated an adult intubation manikin with an inner-diameter 7.5 mm ETT, inflated the cuff to 20 cm H2O. Then we secured ETT with five different adhesive tapes (Transpore tapeTM, Urgosyval tape®, TransporeTM White tape, Multipore tape, DuraporeTM tape) in a conventional fixation method. A digital force gauge was connected to the ETT and pulled in a direction erected to the oral cavity. We measured the force required to move 2 cm ETT and extubate ETT (defined as 5 cm ETT displacement) from the manikin. Data were analyzed with one-way analysis of variance, with P < 0.05. Results: DuraporeTM tape had the largest average force of 2 cm displacement (58.9 ± 5.7N) (P < 0.05). The extubation force of DuraporeTM tape (59.7 ± 4.9N) was larger than Urgosyval® tape (40.4 ± 2.9N) (P < 0.05), TransporeTM tape (48.7 ± 5.1N) (P < 0.05), Transpore WhiteTM tape (48.7 ± 5.1N) (P < 0.05). Conclusion: DuraporeTM tape was superior to the other four tapes (TransporeTM tape, Urgosyval® tape, TransporeTM white tape, Multipore tape) in holding the ETT in place in the manikin.

A Comparison of the Best Place to Fix Endotracheal Tubes for Men and Women When Men and Women Are in the Same Height

Background: Comparison of the tracheal tube depth over the same body height of men and women based upon intubation depth markings. Methods: Kashan University of Medical Sciences ethics committee approved the study and written informed consent was taken for each patient. Patients undergoing surgery requiring general anesthesia with oro-tracheal intubation were included in a prospective observational study. After induction of general anesthesia, the endotracheal tube was secured at the point at which the cuff was just below the vocal cord on laryngoscopy. Results: In a statistical study of 682 intubated patients which consisted of 499 women and 183 men, 28 cases of laryngoscopic view grade III and IV were excluded from the study. The measurement markings on the ETT at the level of right corner of the mouth were 20.65 ± 0.13 and 18.52 ± 0.08 for men and women respectively (CI 95%). Patient’s height has a meaningful correlation with the measurement of the fixation point of the ETT. Pearson correlation coefficient between the securing point of the tube and height was 0.2 and 0.357 for men and women respectively. In most cases of men and women of the same height, Mann-Whitney U test rejected the hypothesis that the tube can be fixed in the particular point. Conclusions: In general, men are taller than women. Comparing the fixation depth of the tube, even when man and woman have the same body height, the endotracheal tube might be placed in a deeper level for men rather than women.

Delayed endotracheal tube obstruction by mucus plug in a child

Endotracheai intubation is a common technique of airway control for surgical procedures requiring general anesthesia. Untortunately, hawng an endotracheal tube （ETT） in place does not guarantee a patent airway and the ETT itself may become a source of airway obstruction. We reported a pediatric case of delayed ETT obstruction due to mucus plug.

Inter-Professional-Compassionate pain management during endotracheal suctioning: a valuable lesson from a Chinese surgical intensive care unit

Objective:To compare the effects of a pain management program and routine suctioning methods on the level of pain presence and agitation in Chinese adults admitted to the intensive care unit.To disseminate the results from the implementation of the evidence-informed pain management interventions for reducing pain presence and agitation during endotracheal tube suctioning(ETS)and translate the key finding to clinical nursing practice.Methods:A quasi-experimental study of a two-group post-test design was conducted in adults admitted after surgery to a surgical intensive care unit(SICU)of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University,Yunnan,China in 2018.Fifty-two adults who met the study eligibility were included after consent,26 in each group.Patients in the control group received usual care while patients in the intervention group received interventions to reduce agitation and pain-related ETS.The impacts of the intervention on the level of pain presence and agitation were measured at 5 measuring time points using the Chinese versions of Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool(CPOT)and Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale(RASS).Results:The level of pain presence in the intervention group statistically significantly decreased during,immediately after,and 5 min after suctioning.The level of agitation in the intervention group significantly decreased during and immediately after suctioning.Conclusions:The findings provide support for the positive pain-relieving effects of the evidence-informed pain-related ETS management interventions when compared with the usual ETS practice.The study interventions were sufficiently effective and safe to maintain patent airway clean and patent as standardized suctioning and helps pain relief.So,evidence-based pain-related ETS management intervention is worthy of recommending to utilize in SICU patients as well as other patients who required suctioning.It is worth noting that integrating pre-emptive analgesia prescription and administration with non-pharmacological intervention plays a critical role in achieving pain relief.

Pressure changes in tapered and cylindrical shaped cuff after extension of head and neck:A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND The proper cuff pressure of endotracheal tube(ET)plays an important role in sealing the airway and preventing airway complications during mechanical ventilation.The ET cuff shape affects the cuff pressure after positional change.AIM To investigate cuff pressure between tapered and cylindrical cuff after extension of head and neck during nasal endotracheal intubation.METHODS In a randomized clinical trial,52 patients were randomized to one of two groups:cylindrical cuff or Tapered cuff.Cuff pressure with 22 cmH_(2)O was applied to patients in the neutral position.After extension of head and neck,the cuff pressure was evaluated again and readjusted to 22 cmH_(2)O.In addition,the extent of cephalad migration of ET tip was assessed and postoperative airway complications such as sore throat,and hoarseness were measured.RESULTS The cuff pressure was higher in the tapered cuff(28.7±1.0 cmH_(2)O)than in the cylindrical cuff(25.5±0.8 cmH_(2)O)after head and neck extension(P<0.001).The extent of cephalad migration of tube tip was greater in TaperGuard ET(18.4±2.2 mm)than in conventional ET(15.1±1.2 mm)(P<0.001).The incidence of postoperative airway complications was comparable between two groups.CONCLUSION After head and neck extension,the cuff pressure and the extent of cephalad migration of ET was greater in tapered cuff than in cylindrical cuff during nasal intubation,respectively.