Comparison of CO2 laser ignition of the Xomed, plastic and rubber tracheal tubes

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The prevention laser induced tracheal tube fires necessitates the use of special anesthesia techniques. To assess the superiority of the Xomed (Jacksonville, FL) Laser Shield TM I tracheal tube to conventional tubes, we compared its combustibility to polyvinylchloride (PVC) and red rubber (RR) tracheal tubes.Methods: Size 6 Xomed, Mallinckrodt (Glens Falls, NY) PVC, and Rusch (Germany) RR tracheal tubes were studied. A Cooper (Santa Clara, CA) CO2 laser and operating microscope were used to focus the laser beam perpendicularly onto the tracheal tube shafts. Five Lmin-1 of O2 flowed through the tracheal tubes which rested on wet towels in air during the study. The laser was set for continuous operation and actuated until a blow torch fire occurred or 90 seconds had elapsed. Ten trials each at 15, 17, and 20 watts were done for the three types of tracheal tubes. ANOVA and Scheffe tests were performed.Results: The times to blow torch ignition of the PVC tracheal tubes were: (mean ± S>D>) 1.73±80, 1.76±0.73, and 1.53±0.42 seconds at 15, 17, and 20 watts respectively. For the Xomed tracheal tubes, blow torch ignition occurred at 85.93±80.80, 42.51±49.35, and 20.30±39.32 seconds at 15,17, and 20 watts, respectively. Blow torch fires of the RR tracheal tubes occurred after 24.49±2.64, 25.41±4.60, and 21.92±5.60 seconds at 15, 17, and 20 watts, respectively. The differences in the times to combustion of the PVC vs the Xomed tracheal tubes achieved statistical significance at 15 and 17 watts (P D>) 1.73±80, 1.76±0.73, ...