title: Occlusion of a wire-reinforced endotracheal tube in an almost completely edentulous patient.
abstract: Wire-reinforced endotracheal tubes have been advocated for use where endotracheal tube kinking is a risk. We report on a 79-year-old nearly edentulous male patient in a weakened state who managed to partially obstruct a wire-reinforced endotracheal tube, despite the presence of a soft bite block. The risk of kinking wire-reinforced endotracheal tubes is not mitigated simply because the patient is edentulous. Good monitoring, vigilance by providers and the use of a solid bite block remains critical in the care of these patients.
authors.affiliation: Nursing Anesthesia Program Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, USA.
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: Matthew W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Kervin
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology*; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D008297:Male