Long-axis Ultrasonic Images of the Pediatric Larynx and Trachea with a Cuffed Endotracheal Tube

A LONG-AXIS (LAX) view of the trachea and larynx in a 3-yr-old girl after intubation with a cuffed endotracheal tube (4.0-mm internal diameter) (fig. A), and a short-axis (SAX) view of the trachea with a transverse tracheal width of 7.0  mm before intubation (fig. B), were obtained using an ultrasound apparatus with an L12-2 MHz probe. The cricothyroid membrane was palpated around 25  mm from the suprasternal notch etch. Hyperechoic shadows mostly indicated anterior membranes of the cricoid or tracheal cartilage. The saline-inflated cuff position was confirmed below the cricoid cartilage in the trachea. The suprasternal notch is usually above the carina, and cuff position also may lie above the carina.
Source: Anesthesiology - Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research