Reliability of Ultrasonography in Confirming Endotracheal Tube Placement in an Emergency Setting

Learning Curve for Interpreting Transtracheal Ultrasound Images to Confirm Endotracheal Tube Placement Among Anaesthesia Residents in a Teaching Hospital

Objectives

Airway ultrasound is a promising tool that can be used alongside capnography to confirm correct endotracheal tube (ETT) placement. This study aimed to quantify the practice required to achieve accurate interpretation of trans-tracheal ultrasound for identifying ETT placement during elective surgeries under general anaesthesia in a teaching hospital.

Methods

Thirty-six anaesthesia residents participated. A baseline ultrasound image interpretation test was conducted, followed by a short video tutorial on upper airway ultrasound. Participants then completed a post-test to identify 10 clips/images in a single attempt. Pre- and post-tutorial scores, time taken for interpretation and confidence levels were compared using Wilcoxon signed rank test. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results

All 36 residents (55.6% female, mean age 29.1 ± 1.81 years) completed the study. After a video tutorial, the median interpretation score improved significantly from 3 (2) to 10 (0) (p < 0.001), and the median interpretation time decreased from 12.9 (4.7) to 4.6 (1.2) s (p < 0.001). Confidence levels also improved significantly. Proficiency was achieved by 91.7% (33/36) of participants after one practice attempt, with the remaining 8.3% succeeding after a second attempt.

Conclusions

A brief tutorial on airway ultrasound significantly improves anaesthesia residents' ability to interpret ultrasound images for endotracheal tube placement. It may serve as a valuable adjunct to traditional methods for ETT placement confirmation.

A Randomised Control Study Comparing Ultrasonography with Standard Clinical Methods in Assessing Endotracheal Tube Tip Positioning

Introduction

Airway ultrasound has been increasingly used in correct positioning of endotracheal tube. We hypothesize that a safe distance between endotracheal tube tip and carina can be achieved with the aid of ultrasound.

Aim of the study

Our primary objective was to determine whether ultrasound guided visualisation of proximal end of endotracheal tube cuff is better when compared to conventional method in optimal positioning of tube tip. The secondary objective was to find the optimal endotracheal tube position at the level of incisors in adult Indian population.

Materials and Methods

There were 25 patients each in the conventional group and the ultrasound group. Conventional method includes auscultation and end tidal capnography. In the ultrasound group the upper end of the endotracheal tube cuff was positioned with an intent to provide 4 cm distance from the tube tip to the carina. X ray was used in both groups for confirmation of tip position and comparison between the two groups. Further repositioning of the tube was done if indicated and the mean length of the tube at incisors was then measured.

Results

After x ray confirmation, endotracheal tube repositioning was required in 24% of patients in the USG group and 40 % of patients in the conventional group. However, this result was not found to be statistically significant (p = 0.364). The endotracheal tube length at the level of teeth was 19.4 ± 1.35 cm among females and 20.95 ± 1.37 cm among males.

Conclusions

Ultrasonography is a reliable method to determine ETT position in the trachea. There was no statistically significant difference when compared to the conventional method. The average length of ETT at the level of incisors was 19.5 cm for females and 21 cm for males.

The diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound parameters for airway assessment in patients undergoing intubation in emergency department-an observational study

BACKGROUND

Endotracheal intubation is an essential resuscitative procedure in the emergency setting. Airway assessment parameters such as the Mallampati classification are difficult to perform in an emergency setting. As point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) assessment of airway parameters does not require patients to perform any mandatory action, ultrasound may become the potential first-line noninvasive airway assessment tool in the emergency department (ED). The use of POCUS in the ED has not been sufficiently studied. Using POCUS in airway assessment for predicting difficult intubation may be the next step in successful airway management.

METHODOLOGY

The study was an observational study conducted at the ED of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Rishikesh). The treating emergency physician recorded the patient history and systemic examination along with an indication for intubation. The POCUS assessment of airway parameters pre-epiglottis to epiglottic vocal cord ratio (Pre-E/E-VC), tongue thickness, hyomental distance, and distance from skin to the hyoid bone was performed by the study investigator. During laryngoscopy, Cormack-Lehane (CL) grading was assessed. The data was entered and analyzed.

RESULTS

Seventy patients who required intubation in the ED were enrolled in the study. Among the study population, 48.6%, 28.6%, 14.3%, 1.4%, and 7.1% were classified with the following CL grading: 1, 2a, 2b, 3a, and 3b, respectively. At a cutoff of ≥ 1.86, Pre-E/E-VC predicts difficult laryngoscopy (AUC 0.835) with a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 94%. At a cutoff of ≥ 5.98 cm, tongue thickness predicts difficult laryngoscopy (AUC 0.78) with a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 88%. At a cutoff of hyomental distance ≤ 6 cm, it predicts difficult laryngoscopy with a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 88%. All parameters can act as a promising tool for predicting difficult laryngoscopy, with the single best parameter being Pre-E/E-VC.

CONCLUSION

Assessment of the airway with POCUS may be helpful to the emergency physician when the clinical airway assessment parameters fail to predict difficult laryngoscopy as most patients requiring intubation are uncooperative. Assessment of the parameters in our study Pre-E/E-VC, tongue thickness, and hyomental distance can act as a promising tool for predicting difficult laryngoscopy in the emergency scenario.

Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Airway Evaluation and Management: A Comprehensive Review

Airway management is a common and critical procedure in acute settings, such as the Emergency Department (ED) or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of hospitals. Many of the traditional physical examination methods have limitations in airway assessment. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has emerged as a promising tool for airway management due to its familiarity, accessibility, safety, and non-invasive nature. It can assist physicians in identifying relevant anatomy of the upper airway with objective measurements of airway parameters, and it can guide airway interventions with dynamic real-time images. To date, ultrasound has been considered highly accurate for assessment of the difficult airway, confirmation of proper endotracheal intubation, prediction of post-extubation laryngeal edema, and preparation for cricothyrotomy by identifying the cricothyroid membrane. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the key evidence on the use of ultrasound in airway management. Databases including PubMed and Embase were systematically searched. A search strategy using a combination of the term "ultrasound" combined with several search terms, i.e., "probe", "anatomy", "difficult airway", "endotracheal intubation", "laryngeal edema", and "cricothyrotomy" was performed. In conclusion, POCUS is a valuable tool with multiple applications ranging from pre- and post-intubation management. Clinicians should consider using POCUS in conjunction with traditional exam techniques to manage the airway more efficiently in the acute setting.

The diagnostic accuracy of an inclusive three-window ultrasonography assessment for the rapid authentication of endotracheal tube position in RICU

Background

Assurance of proper endotracheal tube (ETT) location is crucial immediately after intubation as undiagnosed esophageal intubation can be catastrophic. The primary purpose for this study is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of to evaluate the accuracy of an inclusive three-window ultrasonography assessment for the rapid authentication of endotracheal tube position in the intensive care unit (RICU) with reference to Co2 monitors (capnography) (the gold standard technique), The study included 100 patients who needed emergency intubation in the ICU of Aswan university hospital. Upon entrance to ICU, intubations was done by the residents and collective bedside three-windows ultra-sonography (tracheal, lung, diaphragmatic ultra-sonography) was carried out instantly after intubation Subsequently, the correct position of the endotracheal tube was established by the resident investigator via the use a capnometer.

Results

Waveform capnography revealed endotracheal intubation in 80 cases (80%) and esophageal intubation in 20 cases (20%). However, trans-tracheal ultra-sonography (TUS) was able to detect endotracheal intubation in 78 cases (78%) and esophageal intubation in 22 cases (22%) patients. SLS detected only 17 esophageal intubations from 20 cases detected by CO2 detectors. DUS was able to detect proper endotracheal intubation in 77 cases (77%) and esophageal intubation in 23 cases (23%). However, it detected only 17 esophageal intubations from 20 cases detected by Co2 detectors.

Conclusions

Ultra-sonography, as recently introduced practice for validation of correct endotracheal tube location has both high accuracy and safety profile and can be used as a primary authentication technique.

Trial registration

NCT05747248

Comparison of Upper Airway Ultrasonography With End-Tidal Capnography for the Confirmation of Endotracheal Tube Placement in Patients Requiring General Anesthesia

Introduction End-tidal capnography (EtCO₂) has been the gold standard method for confirmation of endotracheal intubation. Upper airway ultrasonography (USG) is a new promising method for confirming endotracheal tube (ETT) placement and has the potential to become the first-line non-invasive airway assessment tool in the future thanks to widespread POCUS knowledge, greater technology improvements, portability, and availability of ultrasound in the majority of essential areas. Hence our study aimed to compare upper airway USG and EtCO₂ for the confirmation of ETT placement in patients undergoing general anesthesia. Aim To compare the upper airway USG with EtCO₂ for confirmation of ETT placement in patients requiring general anesthesia for elective surgical procedures. The objectives of the study were to compare the time taken for confirmation, and the number of correct identification of tracheal and esophageal intubation by both upper airway USG and EtCO₂. Materials and methods After obtaining institutional ethical committee (IEC) approval, a prospective randomized comparative study involving 150 patients under American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade I and II requiring endotracheal intubation for elective surgeries under general anesthesia was randomized into two groups, Group U-upper airway USG and Group E-EtCO₂ with 75 patients in each group. ETT placement confirmation was done by upper airway USG in Group U and by EtCO₂ in Group E and the time taken for confirmation of ETT placement and correct identification of esophageal and tracheal intubation by USG and EtCO₂ was noted. Results The demographic details among both groups were statistically insignificant. Upper airway USG had a faster average confirmation time of 16.41 seconds when compared to EtCO₂ which took an average confirmation time of 23.56 seconds. In our study, upper airway USG was able to identify esophageal intubation with 100% specificity. Conclusion Upper airway USG can be a reliable method and can be employed as a standard method for confirmation of ETT location in patients undergoing elective surgeries under general anesthesia when compared to EtCO₂.

Diagnostic Value of Epigastric Ultrasound and Suprasternal Notch Ultrasound in Comparison with Standard Capnography in Confirmation of Endotracheal Tube Placement after Intubation

Background

Endotracheal intubation is the basic method of providing a safe cross-sectional airway area and the incorrect placement can be dangerous and causes complications. So this study aimed to access the diagnostic value of color Doppler epigastric ultrasound and linear probe suprasternal notch ultrasound in comparison with standard capnography in confirmation of endotracheal tube (ETT) placement after intubation.

Materials and Methods

This diagnostic value study was conducted on 104 patients requiring intubation who were referred to the Emergency Department. After the intubation, color Doppler epigastric ultrasound and suprasternal notch ultrasound as well as the standard capnography were used to confirm the placement ETT.

Results

The sensitivity and specificity of color Doppler epigastric ultrasound were 97.96% and 100%, for suprasternal notch ultrasound were 98.98% and 66.67%, and for combination of the both methods were 96.94% and 100% respectively that showed the significant diagnostic value in the confirmation of ETT placement (P < 0.001). The mean of elapsed time to confirm the ETT placement by the standard capnography method (17.95 ± 2.45 s) was significantly more than the two methods of epigastric ultrasound (10.38 ± 4.65 s) and suprasternal notch ultrasound (5.08 ± 4.45 s) as well as the combined method with the mean of 15.46 ± 8.31 s (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The results of this study showed that although ultrasound is a potentially accurate, fast, and reliable method to confirm the endotracheal tube placement, but suprasternal notch ultrasound is considered to be a more appropriate diagnostic technique due to its higher sensitivity and less detection time compared to epigastric ultrasound and combined method.

Comparison of ultrasonography, clinical method and capnography for detecting correct endotracheal tube placement- A prospective, observational study

Background and Aims

In emergency airway management, unstable haemodynamics of the patients calls for the early need to detect correct endotracheal tube (ETT) placement. Ultrasonography has an advantage of being readily available along with being non-invasive and providing real time images. We aimed to study the usefulness of tracheal ultrasonography and use it as a tool to assess correct tracheal intubation in patients in the intensive care unit.

Methods

This was a hospital-based observational study. The study included 92 patients who needed and were taken up for endotracheal intubation. Tube placement was confirmed simultaneously by three different observers with their respective method, i.e., ultrasonography, clinical method and capnography.

Results

Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of ultrasonography against capnography were 100% each with P value of 1. However, for clinical method against capnography, the sensitivity was 96.5%, specificity 28.6%, PPV 94.3% and NPV 40% with P value of 0.727. Mean time taken to detect correct placement of the ETT by ultrasonography, capnography and clinical method was 4.93 s, 15.39s and 17.80s, respectively. Out of 92 intubations, 85 were tracheal and 7 were oesophageal. All intubations were detected accurately with ultrasonography and capnography, ultrasonography being faster. Clinical method correctly detected 82 out of 85 tracheal intubations and 2 out of 7 oesophageal intubations, and was therefore less accurate than the other two methods.

Conclusion

The study shows that ultrasonography is as reliable a method for confirmation of endotracheal intubation as capnography and is more reliable than clinical method. Besides, ultrasonography is faster than the other two methods.

Portable Handheld Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Detecting Unrecognized Esophageal Intubations

Esophageal intubations are not an uncommon occurrence in prehospital settings, occurring as high as 17%. These "never events" are associated with significant morbidity and mortality especially when unrecognized or when there is delayed recognition. Here, we review the currently available techniques for confirming endotracheal tube intubation and their limitations, and present the case for the application of portable handheld point-of-care ultrasound as an emerging technology for detection of potentially unrecognized esophageal intubations such as during cardiac arrest. We also provide algorithms for confirmation of tracheal intubation.

Screening Performance Characteristics of Ultrasonography in Confirmation of Endotracheal Intubation; a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Introduction:

Recent studies have suggested that point-of-care ultrasonography can be used for confirming the placement of endotracheal tube. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography for confirming endotracheal tube placement.

Methods:

In this meta-analysis, systematic search of the previous published papers investigating the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography for confirmation of endotracheal tube placement was performed. Seven electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, EBSCO, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Database were searched up to July 2021, for all relevant articles published in English on this topic. Meta-DiSc version 1.4 software was used for statistical analysis.

Results:

The estimated pooled sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography for confirmation of endotracheal tube location were 0.98 (95% CI: 0.98–0.99) and 0.94 (95% CI 0.91–0.96), respectively. The pooled positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio were 5.94 (95% CI 4.41–7.98) and 0.03 (95% CI: 0.02-0.04), respectively. The diagnostic odds ratio of ultrasonography was 281.47 and the area under hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) revealed an appropriate accuracy of 0.98.

Conclusion:

Ultrasonography has high diagnostic accuracy and can be used as a promising tool for confirmation of endotracheal tube placement, especially in critically ill patients or when capnography is not available, or its result is equivocal.

Is E-Learning Education Effective in Increasing the Ability of Nonphysician Medical Flight Crewmembers to Accurately Interpret Point-of-Care Lung and Cardiac Ultrasound Examinations?

OBJECTIVE

Patients suffering from severe injury or illness can benefit from the care and transport of helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS). This may be due to the speed of transport, level of care, expertise of flight crews, and access to specialized equipment and tools. One such tool is point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). POCUS-based lung and cardiac evaluations can positively influence the assessment and care provided to critically ill HEMS patients, but how these procedures can best be learned by nonphysician flight crewmembers has not been fully explored.

METHODS

In this prospective, interventional study, 26 flight crewmembers were evaluated before and after a succinct, guided educational intervention focused on the use of free open-access medical education material intended to help them acquire the knowledge needed to accurately identify and interpret POCUS assessments.

RESULTS

After completing the educational intervention, participants had a statistically significant improvement in their postintervention scores.

CONCLUSION

This study supports the use of free open-access medical education material in improving the knowledge needed for nonphysician flight crewmembers to interpret basic lung and cardiac ultrasound images. Integrating this information into educational programs may contribute to increased comfort and proficiency and serve to accelerate the adoption of this tool in the air medical environment.

Ultrasound for Intubation Confirmation: A Randomized Controlled Study among Emergency Medicine Residents

Confirmation of endotracheal tube (ETT) placement during intubation is a critical skill for emergency medicine (EM) residents; airway ultrasonography has been suggested as an accessible and accurate method of ETT confirmation. Here, we investigated the accuracy with which EM residents could identify ETT location in cadavers using different ultrasound modes. EM attendings intubated either the trachea or the esophagus of a cadaver, and blinded residents identified ETT position using either B-mode or B-mode plus color Doppler. Residents correctly identified ETT location in 1075 of 1203 trials (89.4%); performance improved with post-graduate year (residents in post-graduate year 3 had 97.8% accurate identifications). There were 556 (91.7%) correct identifications made with B-mode and 519 (86.9%) with B-mode plus color Doppler (p value = 0.007); thus, accuracy did not improve with addition of color Doppler to B-mode. Further research is needed on the efficacy of different ultrasound modes in confirming ETT placement in live intubations.

[Focused ultrasound in the emergency room]

Ultrasound is an important tool in diagnosis and treatment of critically ill patients. For trauma patients the eFAST (extended focused assessment with sonography for trauma) algorithm is already implemented in the diagnostic pathway. However, critically ill patients without trauma also need a structured approach including an early focused ultrasonographic exam. National and international guidelines regarding critical illnesses such as acute coronary syndrome, cardiogenic shock complicating myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism or acute aortic syndromes recommend the use of ultrasound. We present pathways how ultrasound can be used in the diagnostic approach of common symptoms such as dyspnea, shock and abdominal pain. Using the ABCDE approach this article shows how ultrasound can be incorporated into the diagnostic pathway.

Use of ultrasonography in COVID-19: Probing for success

The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 has put an immense strain on healthcare facilities around the world. Unique challenges are being faced in the adequate management of rapidly increasing number of cases while ensuring adequate healthcare providers apostrophe safety. Issues related to the difficulty of examination while wearing personal protective equipment, need for objectivity in triage and testing of patients, and evidence-based management of the critically ill has resulted in reliance on longitudinal radiological assessment. There are a number of portability, disinfection and radiation exposure related problems with the use of X-rays and computerized tomography (CT). Point of care ultrasonography provides a pragmatic, safe, and repeatable approach for addressing the pertinent clinical questions that have traditionally relied on X-rays and CT scans. Here, we summarize the use ultrasound assessment can play in the triage, identification, and subsequent management of patients with COVID-19.

Tracheal, Lung, and Diaphragmatic Applications of M-Mode Ultrasonography in Anesthesiology and Critical Care

Today, proficiency in cardiopulmonary ultrasound is considered essential for anesthesiologists and critical care physicians. Conventional 2-dimensional images, however, do not permit optimal characterization of specific conditions (eg, diaphragmatic paralysis, major atelectasis, and pneumothorax) that may have relevant clinical implications in critical care and perioperative settings. By contrast, M-mode (motion-based) ultrasonographic imaging modality offers the highest temporal resolution in ultrasonography; this modality, therefore, can provide important information in ultrasound-driven approaches performed by anesthesiologists and intensivists for diagnosis, monitoring, and procedural guidance. Despite its practicability, M-mode has been progressively abandoned in echocardiography and is often underused in lung and diaphragmatic ultrasound. This review describes contemporary applications of M-mode ultrasonography in the practice of critical care and perioperative medicine. Information presented for each clinical application includes image acquisition and interpretation, evidence-based clinical implications in critically ill and surgical patients, and main limitations. The article focuses on tracheal, lung, and diaphragmatic ultrasound. It reviews tracheal ultrasound for procedural guidance during endotracheal intubation, confirmation of correct tube placement, and detection of esophageal intubation; lung ultrasound for the confirmation of endotracheal and endobronchial (selective) intubation and for the diagnosis of pneumothorax, alveolar-interstitial syndrome (cardiogenic v noncardiogenic pulmonary edema), pulmonary consolidation (pneumonia v major atelectasis) and pleural effusion; and diaphragmatic ultrasound for the diagnosis of diaphragmatic dysfunction and prediction of extubation success.

Real-time Tracheal Ultrasound for the Confirmation of Endotracheal Intubations in the Intensive Care Unit: An Observational Study

OBJECTIVES

Current methods to confirm endotracheal tube (ETT) placement have varying degrees of effectiveness and time to completion. We aimed to study the accuracy of real-time tracheal ultrasound (US) to confirm ETT placement in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting.

METHODS

This work was a prospective study completed at 2 academic tertiary care centers. Patients in the adult ICU requiring emergent intubation were enrolled in the trial. During the intubation process, a US team performed a tracheal US examination to determine, in real time, whether the ETT was placed into the trachea or the esophagus.

RESULTS

A total of 75 patients were enrolled in the study and were available for analysis. There were 12 (16%) esophageal intubations and 63 (84%) tracheal intubations. One hundred percent of the tracheal intubations and 83% of the esophageal intubations were correctly identified. The positive and negative predictive values of US to detect an esophageal intubation were 100% and 97%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Tracheal US can be highly accurate in identifying the location of the ETT, in real time, in ICU patients undergoing emergent intubation. Although our study shows a great potential of real-time US use during emergent intubations, larger studies would be needed to further evaluate the accuracy of this technique.

Confirmation of placement of endotracheal tube - A comparative observational pilot study of three ultrasound methods

Background and Aims

Confirmation of endotracheal tube (ETT) position is necessary to ensure proper ventilation. The present study was conducted with the aim to compare the efficacy of three ultrasonographic (USG) techniques in terms of time taken for confirmation of ETT position. The time taken by each USG technique was also compared with that for auscultation and capnography. The ability of the three USG techniques to identify tracheal placement of ETT was evaluated in all patients.

Material and Methods

Ninety adult American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I/II patients requiring general anaesthesia with tracheal intubation were randomised into three groups (n = 30 each) depending upon the initial USG transducer position used to confirm tracheal placement of ETT: group T (tracheal), group P (pleural) and group D (diaphragm). The time taken for confirmation of tracheal placement of ETT by USG, auscultation and capnography was recorded for each of the groups. Subsequently, USG confirmation of ETT placement was performed with the other two USG techniques in all patients.

Results

The time taken for USG in group T was significantly less (3.8 ± 0.9 s) compared to group P (12.1 ± 1.6 s) and group D (13.8 ± 1.7 s); P < 0.001. USG was significantly faster than both auscultation and capnography in group T (P < 0.001), whereas in group P and group D, USG took longer time compared to auscultation (P = 0.014 and P < 0.001, respectively) but lesser time than capnography (P < 0.001 in both groups).

Conclusion

USG is a rapid technique for identification of ETT placement. All the three USG techniques are reliable in identifying the tracheal placement of ETT.

Accuracy of Real-time Intratracheal Bedside Ultrasonography and Waveform Capnography for Confirmation of Intubation in Multiple Trauma Patients

Background:

A secure airway and effective ventilation are key components of advanced life support, and misplacement of endotracheal tube (ETT) can lead to morbidity in multiple trauma patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of ultrasound in diagnosis of direction for tracheal intubation.

Materials and Methods:

This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 100 traumatic patients requiring intubation in 2016 in the Emergency Department of Al-Zahra and Kashani Medical Education Centers in Isfahan. Surface probe was placed transversally in the front of the neck at the top of the suprasternal notch, and the position of trachea was specified by front of comet-tail artifact which is the contour between hyperechoic air–mucosa (A–M) and a posterior reverberation artifact. Intubation accuracy by capnography was investigated, and the results were recorded in each patient's profile. Tracheal sonography was done during placement, or as soon as, the ETT has been embedded. The scanning time was minimized and it was carried out in total time of 10 s.

Results:

The diagnosis of intubation accuracy indicated that it was successful in 94 individuals (94%) and unsuccessful in 6 ones (6%). Intubation accuracy in 93 people (93%) was confirmed, and inaccuracy of intubation in 7 people (7%) was diagnosed. Ultrasound sensitivity in diagnosis of intubation accuracy was 97.9% (92.94) with 83.3% (5.6%) specificity. The positive and negative predictive values were 98.9% (92.93) and 71.4% (5.7%) respectively.

Conclusion:

Ultrasound method has high sensitivity and specificity to determine the correct placement of the tracheal tube, and it can be implemented as a reliable method given the acceptable positive and negative predictive values.