SCOTI vs. Wee. An assessment of two oesophageal intubation detection devices.

The SCOTI (Sonomatic Confirmation of Tracheal Intubation) is a newly marketed electronic device that relies on recognition of a resonating frequency for detection of tracheal intubation. It was compared with the modified Wee oesophageal intubation detection device, which works on a mechanical principle, in 50 elective surgical patients. All had simultaneous tracheal and oesophageal intubations. The Wee device correctly detected oesophageal and tracheal placement of the tracheal tube in all 50 patients. The SCOTI device incorrectly identified 1 of 50 tracheal intubations and was unable to identify the position of another. It correctly identified all 50 oesophageal intubations. The SCOTI is no better than the simple, cheap and reliable Wee device.