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Right trace wrong place: a normal capnography trace despite the tip of the tracheal tube existing outside the airway

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Head and neck trauma can result in difficult airway management. A 25-year-old male required emergency tracheal intubation on arrival to the emergency department following a motorbike accident. Despite the presence of a normal capnography a computed tomography scan demonstrated a tracheal opening, an extra-tracheal position of the distal end of the tracheal tube, and extensive subcutaneous emphysema. The tube was re-directed into the trachea and the tracheal injury was surgically repaired. This case highlights that the presence of a normal capnograph does not necessarily mean that the distal end of the tracheal tube resides within the airway.

Source: Anaesthesia Reports

DOI: 10.1002/anr3.12313

Authors: A. Karmakar, M. J. Khan, N. A. H. Shallik, A. H. M. N. Moustafa, Y. M. R. A. Toble, G. F. Strandvik