Fluoroscopy-guided retrieval of a sheared endotracheal stylet sheath from the tracheobronchial tree in a premature infant

Abstract

Endotracheal intubation of premature infants with respiratory distress is a commonly performed procedure in the neonatal intensive care unit. We report a rare complication of this procedure, shearing of the plastic sheath that is bonded to and surrounds the stylet used to assist intubation and lodging of the sheared stylet in the tracheobronchial tree of a small premature infant. We suggest a method for removing the plastic foreign body using fluoroscopy and an Amplatz gooseneck snare directed through the existing endotracheal tube, a technique not previously reported.