Bronchoscopy and Esophagoscopy | Page 3

at times a disadvantage. The esophageal and stomach secretions are much thinner than bronchial secretions, and, if free from food, are readily aspirated through a comparatively small canal. If the canal becomes obstructed during esophagoscopy, the positive pressure tube of the aspirator is used to blow out the obstruction. Two sizes of esophagoscopes are all that are required--7 mm. X 45 cm. for children, and 10 mm. X 53 cm. for adults (Fig. 3, A and B); but various other sizes and lengths are used by the author for special purposes.* Large esophagoscopes cause dangerous dyspnea in children. If, it is desired to balloon the esophagus with air, the window plug shown in Fig. 6, is inserted into the proximal end of the esophagoscope, and air insufflated by means of the hand aspirator or with a hand bulb. The window can be replaced by a rubber diaphragm with a perforation for forceps if desired. It will be noted that none of the endoscopic tubes are fitted with mandrins. They are to be introduced under the direct guidance of the eye only. Mandrins are obtainable, but their use is objectionable for a number of reasons, chief of which is the danger of overriding a foreign body or a lesion, or of perforating a lesion, or even the normal esophageal wall. The slanted end on the esophagoscope obviates the necessity of a mandrin for introduction. The longer the slant, with consequent acuting of the angle, the more the introduction is facilitated; but too acute an angle increases the risk of perforating the esophageal wall, and necessitates the utmost caution. In some foreign-body cases an acute angle giving a long slant is useful, in others a short slant is better, and in a few cases the squarely cut-off distal end is best. To have all of these different slants on hand would require too many tubes. Therefore the author has settled upon a moderate angle for the end of both esophagoscopes and bronchoscopes that is easy to insert, and serves all purposes in the version and other manipulations required by the various mechanical problems of foreign-body extraction. He has, however, retained all the experimental models, for occasional use in such cases as he falls heir to because of a problem of extraordinary difficulty.
* A 9 mm. X 45 cm. esophagoscope will reach the stomach of almost all adults and is somewhat easier to introduce than the 10 mm. X 53 cm., which may be omitted from the set if economy must be practiced.
[FIG. I.--Author's laryngoscopes. These are the standard sizes and fulfill all requirements. Many other forms have been devised by the author, but have been omitted from the list as unnecessary. The infant diagnostic laryngoscope (C) is not for introducing bronchoscopes, and is not absolutely necessary, as the larynx of any infant can be inspected with the child's size laryngoscope (B).
A Adult's size; B, child's size; C, infant's diagnostic size; D, anterior commissure laryngoscope; E, with drainage canal; 17, intubating laryngoscope, large lumen. All the laryngoscopes are preferred without drainage canals.]
[FIG. 2.--The author's bronchoscopes of the sizes regularly used. Various other lengths and diameters are on hand for occasional use for special purposes. With the exception of a 6 mm. X 35 cm. size for older children, these special bronchoscopes are very rarely used and none of them can be regarded as necessary. For special purposes, however, special shapes of tube-mouth are useful, as, for instance, the oval end to facilitate the getting of both points of a staple into the tube-mouth The illustrated instruments are as follows:
A, Infant's size, 4 mm. X 30 cm.; B, child's size, 5 mm. X 30 cm.; C, adolescent's size, 7 mm. X 40 cm.; D, adult's size, 9 mm. X 40 cm.; E, aspirating bronchoscope made in all the foregoing sizes, and in a special size, 5 mm. X 45 cm.]
[FIG. 3.--The author's esophagoscopes of the sizes he has standardized for all ordinary requirements. He uses various other lengths and sizes for special purposes, but none of them are really necessary. A gastroscope, 10 mm. X 70 cm., is useful for adults, especially in cases of gastroptosis. Drainage canals are placed at the top or at the side of the tube, next to the light-carrier canal.
A, Adult's size, 10 mm. X 53 cm.; B, child's size, 7 mm. X 45 cm.; C and D, full lumen, with both light canal and drainage canal outside the wall of the tube, to be used for passing very large bougies. This instrument is made in adult, child, and adolescent (8 mm. by 45 cm.) sizes. Gastroscopes and esophagoscopes of the sizes given above (A) and (B), can be used also as gastroscopes. A small form of C, 5 mm. X 30 cm. is used in infants, and also