Which airway device is commonly used to achieve one-lung ventilation during thoracic procedures?

Which airway device is commonly used to achieve one-lung ventilation during thoracic procedures?

• A. Single-lumen endotracheal tube
• B. Laryngeal mask airway
• C. Double-lumen endotracheal tube
• D. Endotracheal tube with bronchial blocker

Answer: (C)

One-lung ventilation in thoracic surgery relies on a device that can completely isolate one lung from the other while still delivering air to the opposite lung. A double-lumen endotracheal tube provides two separate channels with cuffs that seal off each lung independently. By inflating the bronchial cuff, the operative lung is blocked from ventilation and can be allowed to collapse, while the other lung remains ventilated through its separate lumen. This setup offers reliable, rapid, and controllable lung isolation, which improves surgical exposure and oxygenation management. Placement is typically confirmed with fiberoptic bronchoscopy to ensure the correct mainstem tube position and seal. Single-lumen endotracheal tubes cannot isolate a lung on their own, so one lung ventilation isn’t reliably achievable with them. A laryngeal mask airway does not provide airway isolation and is not suitable for thoracic lung isolation. An endotracheal tube with a bronchial blocker can achieve one-lung ventilation, but it is more technique-dependent and less straightforward for routine thoracic cases, which is why the double-lumen tube is the common choice.

One-lung ventilation in thoracic surgery relies on a device that can completely isolate one lung from the other while still delivering air to the opposite lung. A double-lumen endotracheal tube provides two separate channels with cuffs that seal off each lung independently. By inflating the bronchial cuff, the operative lung is blocked from ventilation and can be allowed to collapse, while the other lung remains ventilated through its separate lumen. This setup offers reliable, rapid, and controllable lung isolation, which improves surgical exposure and oxygenation management. Placement is typically confirmed with fiberoptic bronchoscopy to ensure the correct mainstem tube position and seal.

Single-lumen endotracheal tubes cannot isolate a lung on their own, so one lung ventilation isn’t reliably achievable with them. A laryngeal mask airway does not provide airway isolation and is not suitable for thoracic lung isolation. An endotracheal tube with a bronchial blocker can achieve one-lung ventilation, but it is more technique-dependent and less straightforward for routine thoracic cases, which is why the double-lumen tube is the common choice.