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Updated: Mar 13, 2026

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Published on: April 7, 2023
Ultrasonographic Confirmation of Endotracheal Tube Position in Neonates
Khadijehsadat Najib1, Narjes Pishva, Hamid Amoozegar
1Neonatal Research Center, *Pediatric Cardiology Services, #Department of Radiology, and $Gastroenterohepathology Research Center; Shiraz University Of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Correspondence to: Dr Parisa Pishdad, Medical Imaging Research Center, Shiraz University Medical Center, Shiraz, Iran 71365. p_pishdad@yahoo.com.
Objective:
To compare endotracheal tube tip-to-carina distance obtained by ultrasonography vs. that obtained by chest X-ray in neonates.
Methods:
After endotracheal intubation of 40 neonates, chest X-ray and, within one hour, ultrasonography was obtained for each patient for measurement of endotracheal tube tip-to-carina distance.
Results:
Means of endotracheal tube tip-to-carina distances were not significantly different by both modalities (mean difference 0.157 cm, P= 0.06). In addition, an intraclass correlation was observed between them (r2= 0.61, 95% CI= 0.26, 0.79).
Conclusion:
Ultrasonography and chest X-ray are equally accurate for determination of endotracheal tube tip-to-carina in infants. As ultrasonography is more easily available and is safer than X-ray, it may be a better modality for confirming proper placement of endotracheal tube in neonates.
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