Orotracheal Tube Insertion in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants

Received 4 July 2008; received in revised form 4 November 2008; accepted 21 November 2008.

Thirty-one consecutive infants <1000 g at birth were intubated according to Tochen's rule; placement was verified/modified after auscultation and by radiology. Depth measurements were by caliper and radiology. Tochen's rule alone would lead to inadequate tube placement in 47% of infants. Auscultation allows adequate placement in only three-fourths of patients.

Abbreviations: BW, Birth weight, ETT, Endotracheal tube, NRP, Neonatal Resuscitation Program

a Department of Neonatology, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel

b Department of Pediatrics, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel

c The Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

Reprint requests: Dr Dror Mandel, Department of Neonatology, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv-Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizman Street, Tel Aviv, 64239, Israel

The authors declare no conflicts of interest, real or perceived.

PII: S0022-3476(08)01060-3

doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2008.11.057

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