Which method is used to confirm endotracheal tube placement immediately after intubation?

Which method is used to confirm endotracheal tube placement immediately after intubation?

• A. Auscultation of lungs and stomach
• B. Capnography
• C. Pulse oximetry
• D. Chest X-ray

Answer: (B)

Capnography provides real-time, objective confirmation that the tube is in the trachea by detecting exhaled carbon dioxide and showing a characteristic waveform. When the tube is correctly placed, you see a CO2 waveform with each breath, confirming ventilation through the airway. If the tube were in the esophagus, little to no CO2 would be detected, and the waveform would be flat, quickly signaling misplacement. This immediate, continuous feedback also helps alert you to tube displacement if the waveform suddenly disappears. Auscultation, while helpful as an adjunct, is unreliable in emergency settings and can be misleading, especially if gas is insufflated into the stomach or if ambient noise complicates listening. Pulse oximetry shows how well oxygen is being delivered but does not tell you where the tube is placed. Chest X-ray confirms placement as a radiographic check but takes time and isn’t useful for immediate confirmation.

Capnography provides real-time, objective confirmation that the tube is in the trachea by detecting exhaled carbon dioxide and showing a characteristic waveform. When the tube is correctly placed, you see a CO2 waveform with each breath, confirming ventilation through the airway. If the tube were in the esophagus, little to no CO2 would be detected, and the waveform would be flat, quickly signaling misplacement. This immediate, continuous feedback also helps alert you to tube displacement if the waveform suddenly disappears.

Auscultation, while helpful as an adjunct, is unreliable in emergency settings and can be misleading, especially if gas is insufflated into the stomach or if ambient noise complicates listening. Pulse oximetry shows how well oxygen is being delivered but does not tell you where the tube is placed. Chest X-ray confirms placement as a radiographic check but takes time and isn’t useful for immediate confirmation.