Inadvertent Endotracheal Cuff Hyperinflation Diagnosed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging

ENDOTRACHEAL tube (ETT) cuff hyperinflation was incidentally diagnosed in a 5-yr-old maintained on N2O-free general anesthesia (Microcuff, 4.5  mm, inflated with 1.8 ml of air) during cardiac magnetic resonance imaging preceding catheterization. Magnetic resonance angiograms reformatted in coronal (image A) and sagittal (image B) planes of the trachea demonstrate pronounced tracheal distention (thin arrow) at the ETT cuff site, with a thinner contrast-enhanced layer of the tracheal wall (thick arrow), suggesting a degree of mucosal compression. Subsequent cuff manometer measurement demonstrated a pressure of 30  cm H2O, indicating that too high of an airway pressure was applied when testing for an air leak.
Source: Anesthesiology - Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research