Reinforced endotracheal tubes (ETTs) are designed to resist kinking or compression. However, these have a potential risk of being obstructed or severed by a patient’s bite. We report a case in which a reinforced ETT was severed by tube-bite while the patient was in the prone position during an intensive care unit stay. Bronchoscopic evaluation showed that the severed distal part of the tube had lodged in the patient’s right main bronchus, and it had to be surgically removed. The patency of reinforced ETTs should be carefully monitored in patients intubated in the prone position.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Anaesthesia for reconstructive free flap surgery for head and neck cancer Peter McCauley, Michael Moore, Edel Duggan British Journal of Hospital Medicine.2022; 83(5): 1. CrossRef
Endotracheal Tube Obstruction Among Patients Mechanically Ventilated for ARDS Due to COVID-19: A Case Series Samuel Wiles, Eduardo Mireles-Cabodevila, Scott Neuhofs, Sanjay Mukhopadhyay, Jordan P. Reynolds, Umur Hatipoğlu Journal of Intensive Care Medicine.2021; 36(5): 604. CrossRef
Complete Endotracheal Tube Transection by Patient Bite: A Case Report and Algorithm for Fragment Identification and Extraction Annette Ilg, Matthias Eikermann, Andrew J. Synn A&A Practice.2021; 15(3): e01428. CrossRef
Importance of Capnography Monitoring in Critical Ill Patients Young-Kown Ko The Korean Journal of Critical Care Medicine.2017; 32(1): 79. CrossRef