Comparison of methods used in determining endotracheal tube position in newborns

Introduction: Endotractional intubation is a frequently performed procedure that may be required and frequently applied in neonatal intensive care units, in the delivery room, in the emergency room, in emergency conditions or electively to provide a safe airway. Endotracheal intubation should be completed in 30 seconds, so it is important to determine the depth of the tube before the procedure. Objective: To minimize complications that may occur in endotracheal intubations and to determine the optimal forecasting method to determine the tube position in advance in order to eliminate the differences between the practitioners. Material and Methods: Gestational age, calendar age, corrected age, body weight at birth and during intubation, nasal septum tragus distance, head circumference measurement, sternum length, mandible length from the files of patients who had endotracheal intubation between April 2021 and October 2021 in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Gazi University Faculty of Medicine scanned. The length of the tube tip to the carina and T3 vertebral level was measured from lung x-rays of patients through radiologic system. Using this information, NST + 1, tube forecast location by gestation age, tube estimate location by weight, tube forecast location according to head circumferior, tube forecast location according to 50th percentile head circumferential area of 77 gestation week, tube estimated location according to mandible and sternum length calculated. Statistical analysis was performed in line with these calculated parameters and correlation values between the final lip edge cm value of the measurement methods were looked at. Results: While the estimated ground value by weight from the endotrophic tube estimation methods before the procedure was the most significant positive correlation, the tube estimated ground value was found to be the most significant positive correlation from the new anthropometric measurements according to the head circumference in the 50th percentile of the gestational age. Results: According to the results obtained in our study, ETT estimate location is a practical and fast method in high positive correlation according to the head circumferential area in the 50th percentile of the gestational age. Keywords: Endotracheal Intubation, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Respiratory Distress, Endotracheal Tube Depth Estimate