TOOTH TO TUBE Secure endotracheal tubes by tying dental floss around a patient's front tooth.

SECURING ENDOTROACHEAL TUBES
Tie Dental Floss Around a Tooth

When we need to secure an endotracheal tube and don't want to use tape, our anesthesiologist, Derek Chien, MD, ties dental floss around one of the patient's front teeth and then around the tube. We use dental floss in several instances, such as when the patient has a beard and you can't tape the tube to the face very well, when we're doing a facelift or some other procedure on the face or around the mouth where tape would be in the way, or when patients have tape sensitivity. Some surgeons use wire (ouch!) or even sutures to secure tubes. Dental floss is inexpensive, easy to place and tie, and easy to remove.

Theda C. Kontis, MD
Facial Plastic Surgicenter
Baltimore, Md.
[email protected]