Safer: no over insufflation
Recently we had anesthetized an older dog for a nasoscopy and cranial radiographs. After induction we intubated him with one of the new Safe Seal endotracheal tubes and put him on Isoflurane. During the procedure, we noticed a smell of anesthetic gas coming from his mouth and nose, but we assumed the tube was a little too small and, as he was stable and maintaining a good plane of anesthesia, finished the procedure as planned and the dog recovered uneventfully. While readying the machine for the next patient, the technician noticed that the pop-off valve on the anesthetic machine had been closed the ENTIRE time that this patient was under anesthesia. I believe that the design of the new Safe Seal tube allowed the increased pressure to safely vent past the baffles, prevented some serious complications, and possibly saved his life- with any other endotracheal tube he might have died.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions- I think these tubes are great!
Deborah Fox, DVM
Riverside, CA