title: Detection of tracheal malpositioning of nasogastric tubes using endotracheal cuff pressure measurement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Insertion of a gastric tube (GT) in anaesthetized, paralyzed and intubated patients may be difficult. Tracheobronchial malposition of a GT may result in deleterious consequences. The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of tracheal cuff pressure measurement to detect endobronchial malposition of GTs. We compared this new method with the measurement of exhaled CO(2) through the GT.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients under general anesthesia and orotracheal intubation were analysed. First, the cuff pressure of the low-volume endotracheal tube (ET; ID 7.0-8.5 mm) was increased to 40 cmH(2)O. Then, in a randomized fashion, the GT (18 Charrière) was inserted consecutively into the trachea and oesophagus or vice versa. Cuff pressure was monitored continuously while advancing the GT. Furthermore, a capnograph was connected to the gastric tube and the aspirated PCO(2) was monitored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Advancement of the gastric tube into the oesophagus increased ET cuff pressure by 1 +/- 1 cmH(2)O, while endotracheal placement of the GT increased cuff pressure by 28 +/- 8 cmH(2)O (P < 0.001). Using an increase of >10 cmH(2)O in cuff pressure detected endotracheal malpositioning of the GT with 100% sensitivity and specificity. In 28 out of 30 cases, PCO(2) increased by more than 2.6 kPa. Thus, the PCO(2) approach failed to detect tracheal malpositioning in two cases resulting in a sensitivity of 93.3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In intubated patients, cuff pressure measurement during insertion of a gastric tube is a new, simple and reliable bedside method to detect endotracheal malpositioning of a GT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schummer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Giesser
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bayer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schummer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019296:Capnography / Q000379:methods*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004947:Esophagus; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014132:Trachea