Characteristics of lower airway parameters in an adult Asian population related to endotracheal tube design: a cadaveric study.

The risk of endotracheal tube (ETT) placement includes endobronchial intubation and subglottic injury. This study aimed to describe the lengths of lower airway parameters related to cuff location and vocal cord markings in different adult-sized ETTs. Eighty cadavers were examined for the lengths of the lower airway, including their correlations and linear regressions with height. Thirty adult-sized ETTs from seven different brands were examined for Mark-Cuff and Mark-Tip distances. The depth of ETT placement was simulated for each brand using vocal cord marking. The mean (standard deviation) lengths from the subglottis, trachea, vocal cord to mid- trachea, and vocal cord to carina were 24.2 (3.5), 97.9 (8.6), 73.2 (5.3), and 122.1 (9.0) mm, respectively. Airway lengths were estimated as: (1) subglottis (mm) = 0.173 * (height in cm) - 3.547; (2) vocal cord to mid-trachea (mm) = 0.28 * (height in cm) + 28.391. There were variations in the Mark-Cuff and Mark-Tip distances among different ETTs. In the simulation, endobronchial intubation ranged between 2.5 and 5% and the cuff in the subglottis ranged between 2.5 and 97.5%. In summary, the lower airway parameters were height-related. ETT placement using vocal cord marking puts the patient at a high risk of cuff placement in the subglottis.

Value of contrast-enhanced arterial phase imaging in addition to portovenous phase in CT evaluation of blunt abdominopelvic trauma.

OBJECTIVES: Compare the diagnostic performance of the arterial phase plus portovenous phases (AP + PVP) of abdominopelvic CT (CT) with PVP alone in the detection and characterization of traumatic vascular injury and the effects on radiologists' confidence. METHODS: CT of 103 consecutive inpatients (median 36 years, 83 males) with blunt abdominopelvic injuries were retrospectively included if performed within 24 h after trauma and before definitive management. Images were re-reviewed by two blinded radiologists with disagreements resolved by the third radiologist. RESULTS: Sixty vascular injuries (liver 23, spleen 15, kidneys 9, pancreas 2, adrenals 3, mesentery, and pelvis 4 each) were found with 4 injuries (liver 2, spleen, and kidneys 1 each) not detected at initial CT. Nineteen (liver 6, spleen 10, kidneys 2, adrenal 1) were visualized only on AP. The sensitivity and accuracy of AP + PVP were 89.58-91.67% and 94.44-95.15%, compared to 61.67-62.50% and 77.67-80.00% of PVP alone. The agreements on the types of injury with final diagnoses were higher for AP + PVP than for PVP alone (78.69% vs. 44.26%). The mean diagnostic radiologist confidence ((1 = 25%, 2 = 50%, 3 = 75%, 4 > 90%) increased significantly in the detection (from 3.38 to 3.71) and characterization (from 2.46 to 3.67) of vascular injuries with AP + PVP compared to PVP alone. For 19 lesions detected only on AP, 11 (spleen 8, liver 2, adrenal 1) received nonoperative management; others had transarterial embolization or surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of AP improves the detection and characterization of vascular injuries in CT evaluation of blunt abdominopelvic trauma. KEY POINTS: • AP+PVP was more sensitive and precise than PVP alone in the detection of traumatic vascular abdominopelvic injuries. • AP+PVP improved the characterization of traumatic abdominopelvic vascular injuries. • When all abdominopelvic vascular injuries were considered, AP increased radiologists' diagnostic confidence in the detection and characterization of vascular injuries.