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Management of the Extubation Problem in the Premature Child

Long-term endotracheal intubation is a widely established means of giving ventilatory support in the newborn period. Though such long-term intubation is well tolerated by the premature infant, laryngeal complications do occur and extubation may be impossible even though the initial disease process for which the intubation was performed has resolved. In such a situation, careful endoscopic evaluation of the upper respiratory tract is advocated to identify the site of the problem. If subglottic edema or mucosal ulceration in the subglottic area is the site of the damage and if, during endoscopic evaluation immediately following removal of the endotracheal tube, the subglottic area starts to narrow because of edema formation or edema fluid filling up compressed granulation tissue, then a split of the cricoid in the midline anteriorly, leaving the endotracheal tube in as a stent, appears to be a preferable alternative to performing a tracheotomy. Of 12 consecutive patients, 9 have been successfully extubated.