Gingival and Dental Complications of Orotracheal Intubation

WITH increasingly widespread use of endotracheal intubation in neonates, the spectrum of iatrogenic complications enlarges. It includes laryngeal edema and tracheitis,1subglottic stenosis,2tracheal stenosis,3nasal stricture,4swallowing of the tube,5laryngotracheobronchitis, mucosal and submucosal necrosis, and hoarseness.6This report concerns the gingival and dental complications following the use of an orotracheal tube in an immature infant. Report of a Case An 850-gm twin boy was born to a 34-year-old gravida 2 para 1 woman. The pregnancy, labor, and delivery were uncomplicated. The infant was in immediate respiratory distress, reflected by a oneminute APGAR score of 1. A chest roentgenogram demonstrated the reticulogranular pattern of idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome. Because of the small diameter of the infant's nares, an orotracheal tube was inserted. The tube, measuring 7 cm in length and 0.3 cm in diameter, was the smallest available in the newborn intensive care