In Reply:-Dr. Bapat provides a useful rule to determine whether the combination of a fiberoptic bronchoscope (FOB) and an intraluminal guide will fit inside the lumen of an endotracheal tube. However, in practice, it will often not be possible to determine the precise outside diameter of FOBs (especially if the outside sheath has undergone change in shape with usage) and the large number of guides available. A safer and more accurate rule would be to always predetermine and pretest the exact combination of FOB, guide, and endotracheal tube to be used; this is the only way to assure correct function at the moment of need.
Jonathan L. Benumof, M.D., Professor of Anesthesia, Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, 200 West Arbor Drive, San Diego, California 92103–0801.
(Accepted for publication December 6, 1996.)
