Physical characteristics of infant endotracheal tubes.

A change in the incidence of post-intubation complications in infants was the stimulus for the evaluation of the deformability of two brands of endotracheal tubes. The stiffness of each tube was evaluated at room and body conditions in the longitudinal axis of the tubes as well as a cross sectional plan. Shiley brand endotracheal tubes sizes 2.5 to 4.0 were less deformable than Portex brand of the same sizes.