If the endotracheal (ET) tube is in the esophagus, will a tidal volume be generated?

Endotracheal Tube Placement in Esophagus and Tidal Volume Generation

No, when an endotracheal tube is placed in the esophagus, no effective tidal volume will be generated in the lungs. 1

Physiological Explanation

• When an endotracheal tube is incorrectly placed in the esophagus, the delivered breaths go into the stomach rather than the lungs, resulting in no effective ventilation of the respiratory system 1
• While some movement of air and even minimal CO2 may be detected in certain circumstances with esophageal intubation, this does not constitute effective tidal volume generation and will not support oxygenation 1
• The esophagus, unlike the trachea, is a collapsible tube that does not maintain patency during ventilation attempts, preventing effective tidal volume delivery 1

Detection of Esophageal Intubation

Capnography (CO2 Detection)

• Waveform capnography is the most reliable method to confirm correct endotracheal tube placement in patients with perfusing rhythm 1
• In esophageal intubation, typically no CO2 will be detected, though false positives can occur after ingestion of carbonated beverages 1
• False-positive readings (CO2 detected despite esophageal placement) may occur initially but will not persist during subsequent breaths 1

Esophageal Detector Devices (EDD)

• EDDs work by creating suction that collapses the esophagus around the tube if it's incorrectly placed 1
• With esophageal placement, a bulb-type EDD will not re-expand, or a syringe-type EDD will not allow aspiration of air 1
• EDDs may be used as an initial confirmation method when waveform capnography is unavailable (Class IIa, LOE B) 1

Clinical Signs of Esophageal Intubation

• Absence of chest rise during ventilation attempts 1
• Progressive oxygen desaturation despite ventilation attempts 1
• Gastric distention with ventilation attempts 2
• Absence of breath sounds on auscultation 1

Consequences of Undetected Esophageal Intubation

• Rapid oxygen desaturation will occur as no effective gas exchange takes place 1
• Gastric insufflation can lead to regurgitation and aspiration 2
• In cardiac arrest, failure to establish effective ventilation contributes to poor outcomes 1, 3

Important Clinical Considerations

• Multiple confirmation techniques should be used to verify tube placement, as no single method is 100% reliable 1
• Condensation in the tube ("vapor trail") is not a reliable indicator of correct tube placement, as it can occur with esophageal intubation as well 4
• During cardiac arrest, CO2 detection may be less reliable due to low pulmonary blood flow, necessitating secondary confirmation methods 1, 3
• Continuous monitoring of tube position is essential as displacement can occur with patient movement or transport 1

Verification Methods During Cardiac Arrest

• Even during cardiac arrest, tracheal placement will typically generate some CO2 (median 20 mmHg), while esophageal placement produces minimal CO2 (median 3 mmHg) 3
• If CO2 is not detected during cardiac arrest, a second confirmation method should be used before concluding the tube is misplaced 1
• Direct visualization of the tube passing through the vocal cords remains the gold standard for confirmation 1

Remember that undetected esophageal intubation is a preventable cause of morbidity and mortality, making proper confirmation of tube placement essential in all intubation scenarios 1.