Department of Anesthesiology, Cardiovascular Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2012 Nov;29(11):515-9. doi: 10.1097/EJA.0b013e328357ce5b.
Tracheal intubation of anaesthetised rats for laboratory experiments remains an essential yet challenging procedure.
We aimed to investigate whether tracheal intubation can be safely and securely accomplished in laboratory rats employing only handy instruments and with minimal experience.
The feasibility and safety of a modified orotracheal intubation method was evaluated in rats undergoing open-chest surgery as part of another research protocol, and compared with an existing technique.
The study was carried out in a tertiary medical centre-affiliated animal laboratory.
Eighty-five rats weighing 250 to 350 g anaesthetised with intraperitoneal pentobarbital (60 mg kg(-1)).
Orotracheal intubation was performed on 35 animals (group Jou) using a previously reported technique and then on another 50 rats (group New) using the modified method employing a 3-ml syringe-derived intubation wedge, a 0.025-inch guidewire and a 16-gauge 45-mm-long intravenous catheter.
The time for completion, the number of attempts and the incidence of difficulties and complications were recorded. The intubated tracheas were subsequently examined macroscopically and microscopically to determine position of the intubation catheter and the integrity of epithelial lining.
Compared with the previous technique, the new method was completed more rapidly (1 ± 0.2 vs. 5 ± 2.4 min; P < 0.001), more smoothly (difficulties encountered in 8 vs. 74%; P < 0.001), with greater overall success (100 vs. 86%; P=0.022) and with fewer attempts [1 (1 to 1) vs. 2 (2 to 4); P < 0.001) for the new and Jou techniques, respectively, and with a lower incidence of procedure-related complications. Postmortem analysis confirmed there was no microscopic injury to the tracheal epithelial lining with the new technique in contrast to 57% in those using the Jou technique (P < 0.001).
Tracheal intubation for laboratory rats can be securely and safely completed with the modified method employing a short learning curve and easily available devices.
对麻醉大鼠进行气管插管仍然是一项必不可少但具有挑战性的操作。
我们旨在研究在实验室大鼠中，仅使用方便的仪器和最少的经验是否可以安全且可靠地完成气管插管。
在另一项研究方案中，对接受开胸手术的大鼠进行了改良经口气管插管方法的可行性和安全性评估，并与现有技术进行了比较。
该研究在一家三级医疗中心附属动物实验室进行。
85 只体重 250 至 350 克的大鼠，用腹腔内戊巴比妥（60mg/kg）麻醉。
对 35 只大鼠（Jou 组）使用先前报道的技术进行经口气管插管，然后对另外 50 只大鼠（New 组）使用改良方法，使用 3 毫升注射器衍生的插管楔形物、0.025 英寸的导丝和 16 号 45 毫米长的静脉导管。
记录完成时间、尝试次数以及困难和并发症的发生率。随后对插管的气管进行宏观和微观检查，以确定插管导管的位置和上皮衬里的完整性。
与之前的技术相比，新方法完成得更快（1±0.2 与 5±2.4 分钟；P<0.001），更顺利（遇到困难的分别为 8%与 74%；P<0.001），整体成功率更高（100%与 86%；P=0.022），尝试次数更少[1（1 到 1）与 2（2 到 4）；P<0.001]，新方法和 Jou 技术的并发症发生率分别为 57%（P<0.001）。死后分析证实，新方法不会对气管上皮衬里造成显微镜下的损伤，而使用 Jou 技术的则有 57%会造成损伤（P<0.001）。
使用改良方法、短学习曲线和易于获得的设备，可以安全且可靠地对实验室大鼠进行气管插管。
