Airway ultrasound in pediatric patients with stridor and extubation failure.

Background: Orotracheal intubation can cause complications such as stridor and airway obstruction, which favors weaning failure. The objective of this study was to assess the usefulness of airway ultrasound prior to extubation to predict stridor and extubation failure.

Method: Cross-sectional descriptive study, from March 2023 to June 2024. A total of 50 patients were studied, admitted to the pediatric emergency service of the Children's Hospital of the State of Sonora, under mechanical ventilation ≥ 24 hours and in whom the first extubation attempt. An ultrasound of the airway was performed, calculating the peritube free space and the width of the air column before extubation, and the total number of patients who presented post-extubation stridor and extubation failure were identified.

Results: The mean peritube free space in patients who presented stridor was 3.2 mm (0.3-6.2), with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.012) compared to patients who did not present stridor. The mean width of the air column in patients who presented stridor was 1.21 mm (0.16-4.78 mm), but it did not show a statistically significant difference (p = 0.153) compared to patients who did not present stridor. There were no statistically significant differences in both measurements for the outcome of extubation failure.

Conclusions: Airway ultrasound seems to have a good correlation with the risk of post-extubation stridor.