Out of This World

Video by Dee Crawford

160219-A-PS499-001

Training Support Activity Europe

Feb. 19, 2016 | 0:58

To maintain airway control and to deliver anesthetic gas adequately, a device called an endotracheal tube (ETT) is placed in the trachea. Proper positioning of the veterinary patient is essential to facilitate this process. This is sometimes difficult since the animal is often deeply sedated and likes to lean to one side or the other. In this case, Spc. Hunter Smith, a handler is placing the ETT while, Cpt. Melissa Dugan, the veterinarian and, Sgt. Steven Mraz, the veterinary technician provide training and support. This is a task that all MWD handlers must be able to perform in an austere environment should his partner need it. Here, the handler is holding the ETT in his right hand, the dominant hand, and a laryngoscope in his left. The laryngoscope is a handy device that has a long ‘blade’ (not sharp at all…just called that) with a light attached. The blade is placed in the dog’s mouth to the back of the throat and is used to push down on the base of the tongue to visualize the larynx…the beginning of the airway. Once this is visible, the ETT is then placed into the opening to a premeasured length. Placement is checked by palpating the dog’s neck. If you feel 2 tubes, you are in the wrong opening and you need to repeat the procedure from the beginning, but if you feel 1 tube, you are in the trachea. Once proper tube placement is confirmed, oxygen is turned on, the anesthesia machine is connected to the end of the ETT that you can see, and the oxygen is delivered directly into the patient’s lungs. The ETT has a little inflatable bulb on the end that goes deep into the trachea. This has to be inflated just enough to completely seal the trachea so no anesthetic gas can escape into the environment, but not too much to cause any damage to the tracheal lining. Once this bulb is inflated properly, proper placement is reconfirmed, the tube is secured to the dog’s head, the anesthetic gas is turned on and the procedure can begin once the monitoring equipment is placed on the patient.