Combitube

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A combitube is a device designed to facilitate the blind intubation of a patient. It consists of a cuffed double-lumen tube with one blind end. Inflation of the cuff allows the device to function as an endotracheal tube and closes off the esophagus, allowing ventilation and preventing reflux of gastric contents.

The simplicity of placement is the main advantage of the Combitube over endotracheal intubation. When intubating with a traditional endotracheal tube, care must be taken to ensure that the tube has been placed in the trachea, and not the oesophagus. The dual-lumen design of the Combitube allows for ventilation to proceed regardless of where the tube ends up. If the tube is placed into the oesophagus, ventilation is provided through one tube, and if it winds up in the trachea, ventilation is provided through the other tube.

The drawbacks to Combitube use centre around an inability to perform deep (subglottic) suctioning.

While it has been suggested as an option by the American Heart Association and European Resuscitation Council, it is seldom used. The main alternatives are the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) and the endotracheal tube. The tube was invented by three Austrian researchers :M.Frass M.D., R. Frenzer, J. Zahler M.D.

[edit] External links

• combitube.org
• A tutorial about the combitube