Predicting Post Extubation Stridor After Maxillomandibular Fixation

Ultrasound (US) is a useful and non-invasive tool for the evaluation of vocal cords and laryngeal morphology in intubated patients. The laryngeal air-column width (LACW), Laryngeal air column width difference (LACWD), and laryngeal air-column width ratio (LACWR) measured by ultrasound can potentially identify patients at risk of post-extubation stridor, in whom caution should be taken after extubation. The cuff-leak test can predict successful extubation through using the difference between the expired tidal volume with the cuff inflated and with the cuff deflated; the higher the leak, the lower the likelihood that post-extubation stridor will occur.