Identifying the Most Accurate Method for Predicting the Safe Depth of Orally Placed Neonatal Endotracheal Tubes (ETT).

Completed

Conditions studied: Infant Showing No Response to Resuscitation, Ventilator Adverse Event, Apparent Life Threatening Event in Newborn and Infant

In brief

Placing artificial airways in infants is often performed under emergent life-saving conditions, which necessitates a procedure that is both accurate and efficient. Intubations of the newborn are often necessary before an accurate weight can be reported and estimations are often inaccurate. The current national standard uses body weight to predict the appropriate tube depth yet this approach tends to place the tube too deep for the smallest and most vulnerable neonate; and placement accuracy of any size infant is only 50-70%. The consequence of malpositioned ETTs resulting from poor oxygenation, lung hyperinflation, pneumothoraces and death has been suggested to cost $20 to $54 million annually. The morbidity and the financial impact suggest an optimal and accurate approach to place ETT in neonates has not been identified. Other methods to estimate the proper depth of the orotracheal tube have shown promise yet no comparison studies have been performed. Identifying the most accurate method to safely place neonatal orotracheal tubes will improve placement precision and reduce adverse events and their associated costs. Hypothesis Compared to weight, sternal to xyphoid length and shoulder to elbow length, the nasal to tragus length will become the most accurate method for predicting the safe depth of orally placed neonatal endotracheal tubes.

Key facts

Study ID
NCT02181894
Run by
University of Colorado, Denver
People needed
8
Starts
2014-11-01
Expected to finish
2016-07-01
Last updated by the study team
2018-07-26

Who can join

Age: any, up to 0. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

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Where it is running

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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