Which statement about confirming endotracheal tube placement is true?

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Multiple Choice

Which statement about confirming endotracheal tube placement is true?

No single method is 100% accurate for confirming endotracheal tube placement. End-tidal capnography with a continuous waveform is the most reliable immediate indicator that the tube is in the trachea, but it isn’t foolproof—in cases of severe shock or cardiac arrest, very low pulmonary blood flow can yield little or no CO2 even with correct placement, and equipment issues can also mislead. Pulse oximetry shows how well the patient is oxygenating, but it does not verify where the tube is and can stay normal for some time after misplacement. Syringe aspiration to check the tube isn’t dependable for distinguishing tracheal from esophageal placement. The best practice is to use multiple cues together—capnography waveform, chest rise, breath sounds, and, when possible, imaging—to confirm proper placement.

No single method is 100% accurate for confirming endotracheal tube placement. End-tidal capnography with a continuous waveform is the most reliable immediate indicator that the tube is in the trachea, but it isn’t foolproof—in cases of severe shock or cardiac arrest, very low pulmonary blood flow can yield little or no CO2 even with correct placement, and equipment issues can also mislead. Pulse oximetry shows how well the patient is oxygenating, but it does not verify where the tube is and can stay normal for some time after misplacement. Syringe aspiration to check the tube isn’t dependable for distinguishing tracheal from esophageal placement. The best practice is to use multiple cues together—capnography waveform, chest rise, breath sounds, and, when possible, imaging—to confirm proper placement.

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