Oral intubation v. nasal intubation in adult cardiac surgery.

Time for intubation, incidence of mechanical complications, occurrence of bacteraemia caused by intubation, and postoperative discomfort were assessed in relation to nasal and oral tracheal intubation in adult cardiac surgery. The time for placement of the tube was 2.5 times longer for nasal intubation. Nasal bleeding was observed in 45.3% of patients intubated through the nose. In patients in whom a naso-tracheal tube was passed, 9.4% (v. 2.3% of patients intubated via the mouth), exhibited positive blood cultures just after intubation; however, the difference was not significant. Postoperative discomfort was similar in both groups. It can be concluded that nasal tracheal intubation offers no advantage over oral tracheal intubation in adult cardiac surgery.