title: Adjusting the endotracheal tube tip in management of tracheomalacia in an infant.
abstract: Tracheomalacia (TM) is an occult central airway problem that may block the endotracheal tube (ETT) tip and cause ventilation risk. Traditional physical examination, chest radiograph, end-tidal CO2 monitoring and blood gas analysis do not easily make the correct diagnosis. Ultra-thin flexible bronchoscopy (FB) is convenient and useful to verify this rare type of ETT obstruction and can also guide the adjustment of the ETT tip to a correct location. We report two TM infants who were successfully diagnosed and managed by FB to correctly reposition the ETT tip.
authors.affiliation: Children's Medical Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Medical School of National Yang-Ming University, Section 2, 201 Shih-Pai Road, Bei-Tau, Taipei 11217, Taiwan, Republic of China. wjsoong@vghtpe.gov.tw
authors.forename: Wen-Jue
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Soong
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000628:therapy*; D014133:Tracheal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D015300:Ventilator Weaning / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards