A 34-year-old man is admitted to the emergency department (ED) 45 minutes after being shot in the abdomen with a .38-caliber handgun. Upon arrival, the patient is conscious and alert. Blood Pressure: 76/50 mmHg Pulse: 140 beats/minute Respiratory rate: 32 breaths/minute Pulse Oximetry of 72 % initially on room air Chest x-rays showed bilateral pneumothoraces with partial lung collapse. Rapid sequence induction (RSI) is started with an 8-mm endotracheal tube (ETT). Bilateral chest tubes are inserted.
The patient is started on pressure support of +10 mm Hg with 0 PEEP and Fl02 of 100%. Additional chest x-rays and blood gas determinations are pending. You don’t wish to wait for an x-ray and want to ensure that ETT is in the trachea and endotracheal intubation (ETI) is adequately placed. What will be the most reliable confirmation of proper tracheal placement of ETI? (Answer is posted in…
