Anesthesia and analgesia
-
Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 1990
Colorimetric end-tidal carbon dioxide monitoring for tracheal intubation.
We evaluated a colorimetric end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) detector (FEF end-tidal carbon dioxide detector, Fenem, New York, N. Y.) during 62 intubations in anesthetized patients who were hemodynamically stable. The intubations were performed during a drill that simulates difficult tracheal intubation and therefore is associated with an increased risk of esophageal intubation. ⋯ Colorimetric ETCO2 monitoring confirmed tracheal intubation more rapidly than did chest auscultation (P less than 0.001) or capnography (P less than 0.05), and detected esophageal intubation more rapidly than did chest auscultation (P less than 0.05) and as rapidly as capnography did. Confirmation of tracheal intubation was achieved earlier than detection of esophageal intubation with all three monitors (P less than 0.05). We conclude that colorimetric ETCO2 monitoring is a safe, reliable, rapid, simple, and portable method for determining endotracheal tube position for patients who are hemodynamically stable and should be recommended where capnography is not available.