ABSTRACT
To assess the use of endotracheal ventilation catheter for extubation of patients who underwent maxillofacial surgery. Sixty patients who underwent maxillofacial surgery were enrolled in this study from September 2004 to October 2006 in Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tabriz, Iran. They were randomized to 2, 30-person groups. In the intervention group, endotracheal ventilation catheter was inserted before extubation. Patients of the control group were extubated routinely. Upper airway obstruction [stridor] was seen in 3 patients of each group, which improved with supplemental oxygen in the intervention group. The rate of cyanosis, release of intramaxillary fixation, and reintubation in the intervention group was significantly less than the control group [p=0.021]. Endotracheal ventilation catheter is a safe and easy to use device for extubation, and patients can tolerate it well. Therefore, we recommend the use of this type of exchange catheter for the extubation of patients undergoing maxillofacial surgery