Case: Lines & tubes radiograph #49068276
Lines & tubes Beginner
Read this radiograph systematically before revealing the answer. What is the main abnormality?
Image: James Heilman, MD via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized and converted to WebP
Tip: scroll or pinch to zoom, drag to pan, and try Invert.
Answer: Endotracheal tube
What to look for in endotracheal tube
- A tube projected over the tracheal air column, ending above the carina.
- Check the tip position: in adults roughly 5 cm (range about 3–7 cm) above the carina with the head neutral.
- A tip in a main bronchus (usually the right) can collapse the opposite lung.
Description by the image author (may be in another language): An endotracheal tube and nasogastric tube. Both in good position.
Educational case. The diagnosis comes from the image's documented source; the "what to look for" list describes the condition in general and is not a report of this individual image.
