| Introduction: Endotracheal intubation is common in
premature infants due to the need for respiratory support.
Therefore, choosing the right size of endotracheal tube to
prevent damage and minimize air leakage seems
necessary. The aim of this study was to determine the
appropriate size of endotracheal tube in infants weighing
less than 2500 grams (g) and compare it with common
standards.
Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional
descriptive-analytical study, which was performed on
infants weighing less than 2500 g; undergone endotracheal
intubation in Tabriz Children's Hospital in 2016. The infants
were divided into different weight groups (2000 to 2500 g,1500 to 2000 g, 1000 to 1500 g and under 1000 g). First,
they were intubated by using the suggested size, based on
weight.Then an air leak test is performed and if the test is
positive, a larger endotracheal tube size has been tested
to reach the appropriate size. This obtained size was
compared with the proposed size based on existing
standards.
Results: Needing for re-intubation was high among all
infants and most of them needed re-intubation at least
once. In the weight group 1500 to 2500 g, the initial size
of 3.5 for the endotracheal tube seems to be optimal (as
opposed to the suggested size 3). In the weight group less
than 1500 g, size 3 endotracheal tube was the most
frequently used tube (as opposed to the recommended
sizes 2 and 2.5).
Conclusion: The results of this study show that using the
recommended endotracheal tube size for infants is
erroneous and most infants are intubated with at least
one larger endotracheal tube size due to the positive air
leakage test. |