[Tracheal intubation with Parker Flex-Tip tubes assisted by tube-guiding devices].
In tracheal intubation assisted by tube-guiding devices passing through the tube, such as fiberoptic scopes, bougies, tracheal tube exchange catheters, and light wands, passage of the tube-guiding device, by itself, is often easy. But advancing a tracheal tube with a conventional distal tip over these tube-guiding devices is frequently difficult or impossible, because its rigid, side-beveled tip frequently catches on anatomical features of the airway. A novel tracheal tube, the Parker Flex-Tip tube (Parker Medical, Colorado, USA) has a centered, curved, tapered and flexible distal tip that passes through the airway faster and easier than conventional tracheal tubes. As it is advanced along a tube-guiding device, the tip of the Parker tube travels along the midline of the airway, without the gap that usually exists between the distal edge of a conventional tracheal tube and the tube-guiding device. The gapless, midline travel of the Parker tube leads to a greater incidence of first-attempt intubation success with tube-guiding devices, because there is less risk of tube tip hang-ups on the arytenoids and the vocal cords. Clinically, use of the Parker tube is helpful for oral and nasal intubations, especially in patients with difficult airways.
Mizuno
Ju
J
Department of Anesthesiology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo 173-8605.
Morita
Shigeho
S
Suzuki
Maya
M
Arita
Hideko
H
Hanaoka
Kazuo
K
D020680:Bronchoscopes; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D017214:Laryngeal Masks; D020704:Laryngoscopes; D008029:Lighting / Q000295:instrumentation