Use of the Rapiscope vs chest auscultation for detection of accidental bronchial intubation in non-obese patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy

• Published in: Journal of clinical anesthesia Vol. 18; no. 2; pp. 118 - 123
• Main Authors: Ezri, Tiberiu, Khazin, Vadim, Szmuk, Peter, Medalion, Benjamin, Shechter, Pinhas, Priel, Israel, Loberboim, Mordechai, Weinbroum, Avi A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.03.2006; Elsevier Science; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anesthesia; Anesthesia, General; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Auscultation; Biological and medical sciences; Bronchi - injuries; Bronchial intubation; Bronchoscopes; Bronchoscopy; Carbon Dioxide - blood; Chest auscultation; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic; Detection; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Intubation; Intubation, Intratracheal - adverse effects; Male; Medical Errors; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Obesity; Oxygen - blood; Prospective Studies; Rapiscope; Surgery; Weight control; Bronchial intubation; Chest auscultation; Rapiscope; Detection; Cholecystectomy; Human; Obesity; Auscultation; Nutrition disorder; Medical screening; Anesthesia; Intubation; Nutritional status
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2005.08.008
• ISSN: 0952-8180

Main stem bronchial intubation is not always detected by routine means and may occur more frequently during laparoscopic procedures. Tracheal tube positional changes in non-obese patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were detected by either the Rapiscope (Cook Critical Care, Bloomington, Ind) or chest auscultation. Prospective, double-blind, crossover study. University hospital. Forty non-obese patients (BMI <28 kg·m −2), aged 18 to 80 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists risk class I-III, who underwent elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were enrolled in this double-blind, prospective study. After endotracheal intubation by one anesthesiologist, two other anesthesiologists assessed the tracheal tube's positioning by either the Rapiscope or chest auscultation; the results of one anesthesiologist's measurement were concealed from the other. Assessments of the endotracheal tube tip's position were performed after intubation, head-down, and head-up positioning, after maximal abdominal insufflation and before extubation. At the same time points, Sp o 2, ET co 2, and peak inspiratory pressures were also recorded. Postintubation Rapiscope assessment revealed normal tracheal positioning of the tube's tip in all patients. Changes in tube's position were subsequently detected by the Rapiscope in 16 patients. In 8 cases, the tip moved endobronchially. Half of the endobronchial intubations occurred after maximal abdominal insufflation and the other half after changing the table position from neutral to 30° head-down. Chest auscultation detected bronchial intubation in two cases only ( P = .01). There were 4 additional events of downward movements and 4 events of cephalad migration of the tube's tip identified by the Rapiscope only. ET co 2, Sp o 2, and peak inspiratory pressures did not change in patients who did experience bronchial intubation. The Rapiscope detected significantly more events of endobronchial intubation as compared with chest auscultation; it could be considered useful during procedures where tracheal tube movements are potential.