CT OF MINOR INTUBATION TRAUMA WITH CLINICAL CORRELATIONS

Even when performed by an experienced physician, endotracheal intubati on is more traumatic than previously supposed. Following emergency int ubation, patients have little probability of having a normal larynx. O ne-hundred patients underwent CT scan of the larynx 6 months or more f ollowing endotracheal intubation of short duration (up to 8 h). Ten pa tients (Group 1) with respiratory arrest underwent emergency intubatio n; 90 surgical patients (Group 2) underwent anesthesia with endotrache al intubation. Indirect laryngoscopy was performed in 59 symptomatic p atients. Abnormal CT findings were present in 86 out of 100 patients. CT irregularities, which included tears, scars and small laryngoceles, were noted on indirect laryngoscopy in 59 symptomatic patients. The l aryngeal damage following endotracheal intubation is surprisingly high .