Elective orotracheal intubation and aspiration for microbiologic diagnosis in children

Endotracheal intubation is generally performed to facilitate the treatment of respiratory failure or to control the airway during general anesthesia. We electively intubated 14 children with undiagnosed pneumonia to obtain tracheobronchial secretions for microbiologic diagnosis. Three were intubated...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCritical care medicine Vol. 14; no. 10; p. 878
Main Authors Kasian, G F, Oman-Ganes, L, Sankaran, K G
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.10.1986
Subjects
Bacteriological Techniques
Child
Child, Preschool
Humans
Infant
Intubation, Intratracheal
Pneumonia - microbiology
Respiratory Tract Infections - microbiology
Specimen Handling - methods
Suction
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - microbiology
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Summary:Endotracheal intubation is generally performed to facilitate the treatment of respiratory failure or to control the airway during general anesthesia. We electively intubated 14 children with undiagnosed pneumonia to obtain tracheobronchial secretions for microbiologic diagnosis. Three were intubated awake, three with sedation, and eight with sedation and neuromuscular blockade. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated in four of six patients suspected of having tuberculosis. Other bacterial pathogens were isolated in three patients and viral pathogens in three patients. The procedure proved useful in 11 (79%) of the 14 patients, with no complications. We conclude that elective orotracheal intubation is a safe, simple, fast, and effective method of obtaining secretions for the culture of organisms responsible for lower airway and lung parenchymal infections in children.
ISSN:0090-3493
DOI:10.1097/00003246-198610000-00009