title: Peri-operative flexometallic endotracheal tube malfunction--an unusual complication.
abstract: Increased difficulty was encountered during manual ventilation following change of position from supine to prone in a patient intubated with a fresh flexometallic cuffed endotracheal tube, posted for elective lumbar discectomy. Prompt Identification of the problem was made and managed with replacement of the damaged tube with a new endotracheal tube in supine position. Following proper securing of the airway and repositioning of the patient, rest of the surgery and anaesthetic maintenance were uneventful. The cause of this unusual complication was ultimately found to be an obstruction along the length of lumen of the culprit endotracheal tube which was maximum at its proximal end by herniation of the deformed channel of the cuff with filled air generated due to backpressure from the tracheal cuff that might have been produced due to manufacturing defect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, BIN and IPGME&R, Kolkata 700025.
authors.forename: Jayanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
authors.forename: Sankari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Santra
authors.forename: Saikat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Niyogi
authors.forename: Ratul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Basu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D059035:Perioperative Period