title: Use of a lighted flexible catheter as a detector for accidental oesophageal intubation through the intubating laryngeal mask: a preliminary study.
abstract: We have evaluated the use of a prototype lighted flexible catheter using the transillumination of the light through the soft tissues of the neck, as a detector of the accidental oesophageal intubation during the tracheal intubation through the intubating laryngeal mask. Two hundred patients undergoing general anaesthesia were studied. Accidental oesophageal intubation occurred in 12 patients (6%) during the first intubating attempt and was diagnosed by noting absence of glow on the neck during the tracheal tube advancement and was confirmed by capnography. However, 11/12 (92%) of the above patients were finally intubated successfully, using the lighted flexible catheter. In one patient persistent accidental oesophageal intubation occurred and was classified as failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, G. Gennimatas Hospital, Athens, Greece. vaskdimi@otenet.gr
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dimitriou
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tsiganos
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pratsas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Douma
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lavdas
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Voyagis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iatrou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002404:Catheterization; D004947:Esophagus / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005260:Female; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017214:Laryngeal Masks; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative