title: Absence or presence of a leak around tracheal tube may not affect postoperative croup in children.
abstract: To prevent postoperative croup in children, many anaesthesiologists use a tracheal tube that allows a leak when tested with 20 to 25 cm of water pressure. We studied the correlation of postoperative croup with leak, duration of anaesthesia, and a recent cold in 159 healthy outpatient children who had strabismus correction by the same surgeon and the same anaesthesiologist. We found no correlation between the presence or absence of a leak and the incidence or severity of postoperative croup. There was a strong trend toward significance when postoperative croup and duration of anaesthesia were compared (P = 0.056) and a significant, positive correlation between severe croup (requiring racemic epinephrine) and duration of anaesthesia (P = 0.005). Patients having a recent cold did not have an increased incidence of postoperative croup. A leak around the tracheal tube at 20 to 25 cm of water pressure may not be required for a healthy child who undergoes surgery lasting less than 2 h if the child has no history of croup.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, USA.
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Khalil
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mankarious
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: A Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Lemak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003440:Croup / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D011312:Pressure; D011446:Prospective Studies