Abstract
We report a geriatric case with a full-thickness skin avulsion injury during extubation due to a tube securing tape used to fixate the endotracheal tube. The avulsed skin was sutured back to its original place. Based on this single geriatric patient, we recommend anesthesiologists/anesthetists and surgeons be aware of the potential risk of avulsing the skin with tape during a standard extubation procedure. This may especially occur in geriatric patients who have age related changes as decreased elasticity and resistance to shearing forces that predispose the skin to get traumatized easily.
Highlights
Endotracheal tubes that are used for airway maintenance must be securely placed and fixated in order to avoid complications such as accidental extubations, tracheal injuries or swallowed endotracheal tube [1]
We report a 75-year-old patient in whom a full-thickness skin avulsion injury occurred during extubation due to securing tape used to fixate the endotracheal tube
The patient was intubated by an anesthesiologist with an endotracheal tube and the tube was fixated and secured to the patient's right cheek by using tapes
Summary
Endotracheal tubes that are used for airway maintenance must be securely placed and fixated in order to avoid complications such as accidental extubations, tracheal injuries or swallowed endotracheal tube [1]. We report a 75-year-old patient in whom a full-thickness skin avulsion injury occurred during extubation due to securing tape used to fixate the endotracheal tube. Her skin turgor and tonus were seriously decreased. The patient was intubated by an anesthesiologist with an endotracheal tube and the tube was fixated and secured to the patient's right cheek by using tapes (Hypafix®;BSN medical GmgH & Co. KG, Hamburg, Germany) in a standard fashion [2] (Fig. 1). A piece of full-thickness skin avulsed as attached to the securing tape from the patient's right cheek. A full-thickness skin loss 3 × 8 cm in size was detected on the right cheek (Fig. 3). Ing was opened and the graft was found to heal completely (Fig. 4)
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