Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2023 Aug 24:16:485-489.
doi: 10.2147/IMCRJ.S414298. eCollection 2023.

Partial Obstruction of the Endotracheal Tube by a Part of the Metallic Stylet; Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abdullah M Assiri  1 , Abdullah Alhelali  2 , Ibrahim Al-Benhassan  3 , Saeed Abo Hamed  3 , Assaf Alkathiri  2 , Elhadi Miskeen  4 , Mohammed Alqarny  5
Affiliations
Case Reports

Partial Obstruction of the Endotracheal Tube by a Part of the Metallic Stylet; Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abdullah M Assiri et al. Int Med Case Rep J. .

Abstract

Endotracheal intubation is common in the emergency department, intensive care units, and operating rooms. It involves the insertion of an endotracheal tube (ETT) through the mouth or nose into the trachea to maintain a patent airway and facilitate mechanical ventilation. Using a stylet during intubation can guide the ETT through the vocal cords. However, complications can arise when the stylet is not removed after successful intubation. Herewith, we reported a patient who was two years old and suffered from respiratory failure. However, in the first 12 hours, we observed a foreign body in the trachea, a small end of a metal stylet immediately removed by bronchoscope. This case demonstrates that multiple uses of a stylet, especially by a single user, can result in impaction of the stylet in the ETT during intubation, requiring force when the stylet is withdrawn after intubation, which can result in breakage, shearing, and retention of the stylet or plastic sheath in the lumen of the ETT.

Keywords: Saudi Arabia; foreign body; stylet.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

No conflict of interest was reported.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Stylet.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Shows a foreign body (Stylet’s part) in the tube and trachea.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Xia M. Complications associated with anesthesia: in oral and maxillofacial surgery. In: Anesthesia for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore;2023:125–144. doi:10.1007/978-981-19-7287-4_9 - DOI
    1. Chavez CL, Macias AM, Bárcenas CD, Molina AI, Villalobos MP. Special considerations in pediatrics for rapid intubation sequence. Int J Med Sci Clin Res Stud. 2023;3(06):1067–1071. doi:10.47191/ijmscrs/v3-i6-06 - DOI
    1. Hansel J, Law JA, Chrimes N, et al. Clinical tests for confirming tracheal intubation or excluding oesophageal intubation: a diagnostic test accuracy systematic review and meta‐analysis. Anaesthesia. 2023;78(8):1020–1030. doi:10.1111/anae.16059 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Pirotte A, Panchananam V, Finley M, et al. Current considerations in emergency airway management. Curr Emerg Hosp Med Rep. 2022;10(4):73–86. doi:10.1007/s40138-022-00255-y - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ito M, Watanabe N, Sawado Y, et al. An unusual foreign body in the oral cavity: a case report from a patient safety point of view and literature review. J Anesth. 2022;36(4):564–571. doi:10.1007/s00540-022-03087-y - DOI - PubMed

Publication types