Intubation with polyvinyl chloride tubes in young children

Abstract

A case report of a 2.5 year old girl is presented. The girl was admitted to Victoria General Hospital, Gozo, suffering from laryngotracheitis. When her situation got worse, as she started having repeated bouts of laryngeal obstruction with deep cyanosis, restoration of the airway was imperative and it was decided to intubate. The child was quieted down with Fluothane using a Schimmelbusch mask, oxygen being administered throughout. A polyvinyl chloride tube, size 00, was passed nasally and was guided through the glottis with ease; the whole procedure (i.e. anesthesia, intubation) taking less than 90 seconds. The child quickly regained consciousness, did not become restless and soon went into a restful sleep with good normal pulse. In this case study, intubation was meant as a life-saving effort, a technique which has proved remarkably effective and complication-free.