[Selective right bronchial intubation using tracheal tubes under fibroscopic guidance]

We have evaluated the technique of right bronchial intubation for selective right pulmonary ventilation using one lumen tracheal tubes as an alternative to double lumen tubes. We studied 20 patients ASA II-III with a relatively preserved pulmonary function who were programmed for left thoracotomy. We used Shiley nr. 9 or Mallinckrodt nr. 11 tubes. After endotracheal intubation the tube was blindly advanced to the main right bronchus. The position of the tube was assessed by auscultation and it was verified and modified, if necessary, by fibroscopic visualization. The tube was advanced in such a way that Murphy's hole of the endotracheal tube remained in front of the exit of the right superior lobar bronchus. In three patients (15%) blinded placement of the tube was appropriate and in 4 patients (20%) fibroscopic replacement of the tube was required. In the remaining 13 patients (65%) placement of the tracheal tube was considered incorrect: tube rotation in 7 cases, upper placement of the Murphy's hole with respect to the origin of the superior lobar bronchus in 4 cases, and excessive distal placement of Murphy's hole with respect to the superior lobar bronchus in 2 patients. Complications related with the incorrect position of the tube were: leaking of gas into the left bronchium in 5 patients (25%), displacement of the tracheal tube into the main left bronchus requiring withdrawal of the tube to the trachea in one case (5%), hypoxemia (saturation of O2 lower than 90%) in spite of ventilation with FiO2 = 1 in two patients, moderate hypercapnia in three cases, and atelectasis of the right superior lobe during the postoperative phase in three patients (15%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)