The BAAM and endotrol endotracheal tube for blind oral intubation. Beck Airway Air Flow Monitor

Blind oral intubation in a spontaneously breathing patient can be facilitated with a combination of two devices used mainly for nasotracheal intubation, the BAAM (Beck Airway Air Flow Monitor, Great Plains Ballistics, Lubbock, TX) and the Endotrol endotracheal tube (Mallinckrodt Critical Care, Inc., St. Louis, MO). We describe a case in which intubation of a spontaneously breathing intensive care unit patient was unsuccessful by traditional methods. In the successful approach we describe, the tube was passed through the oral cavity and pharynx in a blind fashion, using the BAAM's whistling sound for guidance and the plastic ring of the Endotrol tube to help positioning. This equipment combination may be useful in certain difficult intubation situations.