Laser endotracheal tube failure: kinking of the Rüsch Lasertubus resulting in near-total airway occlusion.
We report a case in which kinking of the Lasertubus resulted in near-total occlusion of the endotracheal tube, which in turn precluded adequate ventilation. Although the reporting of kinked endotracheal tubes is not uncommon in the anesthesia literature, our case is unique with respect to the physical mechanism responsible for tube deformation.
Weingarten
Toby N
TN
Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Hein
Barry
B
Long
Timothy R
TR
Wass
C Thomas
CT
D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology*; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D007834:Lasers