Airway lesions caused by prolonged intubation with standard and with anatomically shaped tracheal tubes. A post-mortem study.

Two groups of patients intubated for long periods were examined post mortem. In Group A (22 patients) the mean duration of intubation was 4.0 days and in Group B (19 patients) 5.7 days. The mean for the two groups was 4.8 days. In Group A a conventional endotracheal tube was used, and in Group B an anatomically shaped tube. Both tubes had cuffs of the intermediate-volume, low-pressure type. The larynx and trachea, from the epiglottis to the bifurcation, were removed in one piece at autopsy and the inner surface was photographed. The photographs were magnified and from these the size and estimated depth of any lesions were recorded. In the arytenoid and tracheal regions no significant difference was found between the two groups. In the cricoid region, on the other hand, the outcome was significantly more favourable following use of the anatomically shaped tube.