• K C Hutton, V P Verdile, D M Yealy, and P M Paris.
• University of Pittsburgh, Pa.
• Prehosp Disaster Med. 1990 Apr 1;5(2):131-6.

AbstractVerification of endotracheal tube (ETT) location in prehospital setting and the emergency department (ED) is a challenging task. Unrecognized esophageal intubations with potentially dangerous consequences may occur more frequently in these environments than in less hectic settings. To evaluate the capabilities of a portable, non-directable, fiberoptic bronchoscope (Visicath; Saratoga Medical, Saratoga, Calif., USA) to detect appropriate ETT placement, a prospective series of 22 intubated prehospital, air-medical, or ED patients underwent fiberoptic verification (FOV) of a newly placed ETT. Each patient was intubated under urgent circumstances. The time required for FOV, ETT location, the relative difficulty of intubation, and the changes in management as a result of FOV were recorded. A total of 24 FOVs were performed, twenty-one tracheal (88%), and two esophageal (8%) intubations were identified. Position could not be identified in one case (4%). FOV confirmed placement in 23 intubations (96%) in less than 25 seconds. Seven intubations (29%) were judged to be "difficult." FOV resulted in five minor changes in management (22%) and was the sole confirmation method for five intubations. We conclude that fiberoptic verification is a promising method of ETT position in air-medical and ED intubations.

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