• Bruno Megarbane, Thu Be Hong, Romain Kania, Philippe Herman, and Frédéric J Baud.
• Department of Toxicological and Medical Critical Care, Lariboisière Hospital, Paris-Diderot University, France. bruno-megarbane@wanadoo.fr <bruno-megarbane@wanadoo.fr>
• Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2010 May 1;48(4):331-6.

ObjectiveTracheal intubation may represent a life-saving supportive measure in many acutely poisoned patients. Although considered as a safe procedure, intubation may rapidly damage laryngeal mucosa. The incidence and nature of short-duration intubation-associated laryngeal injuries are unknown in the population of poisoned patients.MethodsWe designed a prospective clinical investigation to study intubation-related laryngeal complications in poisonings. All consecutive intubated poisoned patients admitted over a 20-month period in our toxicological intensive care unit in a teaching hospital were included in this study. Daily clinical observation and laryngeal fiberscopic evaluation were performed to assess intubation-related laryngeal complications.ResultsWe included 266 consecutive poisoned patients who had been intubated [116M/150F; age 41 years (31-53); median (25-75% percentiles); simplified acute physiology score II 43 (32-51); intubation time 24 h (13-52)]. Intubation was mainly performed at the scene (69%) and depended on the level of coma (89%). Complications included postextubation laryngeal dyspnea (9%) requiring mandatory reintubation (2%). Laryngoscopy was performed in 209 patients (79%) within 24 h after extubation. Eighty percent of patients presented significant initial laryngeal lesions. Stepwise logistic regression showed that two variables were predictive of injuries: female gender (odds ratio: 2.6; 95% confidence interval: 1.3-5.3) and intubation time > or =72 h (odds ratio: 6.4; confidence interval: 1.5-27.6). Overall, injuries were independent of age, severity of illness, coma level, vital signs, intoxicants, and intubation modalities. The most severe injuries were significantly associated with intubation time (p < 0.001) and simplified acute physiology score II (p = 0.04). Within 24 h following extubation, persistent dysphonia (p < 0.0001), dysphagia (p < 0.0001), or pharyngeal pain (p = 0.02) were predictive of laryngeal injury.ConclusionsDespite short-duration intubation, poisoned patients are at high risk of initial laryngeal injury.

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