Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
-
To investigate cuff types for potential use in late childhood and early adolescence for appropriate fit. ⋯ Patients aged 8 to 10 yr have a limiting internal diameter at the cricoid of 8 to 10 mm. Their unstretched tracheal diameter below the cricoid is only about 11 mm. The actual outside diameters of "low pressure" cuffs chosen by commonly used formulae considerably exceed the limiting diameters of eight to ten year old patients, even considering recommended compensation factors. Analysis of background data indicates that these problems are especially aggravated at this age by non-linear growth of the cricoid.