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The Egyptian Journal of Bronchology
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Real-time tracheal ultrasonography for confirming endotracheal tube placement

Egyptian Journal of Bronchology volume 12, pages 323–328 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the accuracy of tracheal ultrasonography for confirming the endotracheal tube placement during patients’ intubation.

Patients and methods

The current study was a prospective, randomized study performed at the ICU of Al-Hussein Hospital, Cairo. Intubated for respiratory failure, cardiac arrest or other medical causes were included in the current study. Real-time tracheal ultrasonography was conducted during intubation with the ultrasound probe placed transversely over the trachea above the suprasternal notch for confirming the tube position, either tracheal or esophageal. The standard method for confirming endotracheal tube placement include clinical evaluation and rapid bronchoscopic confirmation. The main outcomes were the degree of accuracy and timeliness of tracheal ultrasound in confirming endotracheal tube placement.

Results

Forty patients eligible for endotracheal intubation were randomized in the current study and only four (10%) patients had confirmed esophageal intubations. Our results concluded that tracheal ultrasound had a diagnostic accuracy of 97.5% in the detection of endotracheal tube site. The sensitivity was 97.2%, while the specificity was 100%. Tracheal ultrasound had a positive predictive value of 100%, while the negative predictive value was 80%. The total operating time of ultrasonography was significantly lower than that of bronchoscopy.

Conclusion

Real-time ultrasound of the trachea is an accurate, feasible, and fast method in confirming endotracheal tube placement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chest Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

    Ahmed E. Kabil & Ahmed M. Ewis MD

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

    Ahmed M. Al-Ashkar

  3. Department of Radiology, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

    Mohamed A. A. Abdelatif

  4. Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Damietta, Egypt

    Mohamed O. Nour

  5. Faculty of Public Health and Health Informatics, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

    Mohamed O. Nour

Authors
  1. Ahmed E. Kabil
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  2. Ahmed M. Ewis MD
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  3. Ahmed M. Al-Ashkar
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  4. Mohamed A. A. Abdelatif
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  5. Mohamed O. Nour
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ahmed M. Ewis MD.

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Kabil, A.E., Ewis, A.M., Al-Ashkar, A.M. et al. Real-time tracheal ultrasonography for confirming endotracheal tube placement. Egypt J Bronchol 12, 323–328 (2018). https://doi.org/10.4103/ejb.ejb_88_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/ejb.ejb_88_17

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