Verbal Communication of an Orally Intubated Patient in the Intensive Care Unit: A Case Report

Effective interaction with orally intubated patients is important for critical care rehabilitation. An electrolarynx (EL) has reportedly proven useful for facilitating verbal communication during oral intubation. The EL allows patients to express their wishes instantly. Nevertheless, this method is not commonly applied, probably because articulation is often unsatisfactory. Here, we report a case of successful EL-based communication during early mobilization and describe the key factors involved in this success.

An 82-year-old man, who was intubated and undergoing mechanical ventilation for the treatment of acute respiratory failure caused by severe pneumonia, was referred to the rehabilitation department for early mobilization. The patient tried to speak during the spontaneous awakening trials and breathing trials for weaning off mechanical ventilation. However, he was frustrated by communication difficulties and consequently exhibited negative behavior toward physical therapy. We attempted to use an EL to facilitate communication, but initially the patient failed to achieve intelligible articulation. We eventually established that the intubation tube should be located at the corner of the mouth to minimize the restriction of tongue movement. Intelligible sounds were recognized and successful communication between the patient and staff was subsequently achieved.

The use of an EL is worthy of consideration during early mobilization of orally intubated patients. To achieve successful communication with an EL, both patient selection (Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale score of 0 or -1) and the proper placement of the intubation tube are necessary to ensure intelligible articulation.