BackgroundThis study was conducted to investigate the effect of endotracheal tube type on post operative dysphagia in patients undergoing lung transplant surgery.

Will patients who are intubated with a single lumen endotracheal tube (SLT) during lung transplantation (LTx) surgery have higher Functional Oral Intake Scores after surgery compared to a double lumen endotracheal tube (DLT)?

A single-center, retrospective cohort study was performed using a data exploration tool in the electronic medical record (EMR) system.

Data included demographic characteristics, medical history, postoperative dysphagia measured by Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) via modified barium swallow study (MBSS) within 5 days of surgery, operative time, total ventilation time, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS), hospital LOS, total number of ventilator-free days at post operative day 30, in-hospital mortality, tracheostomy, enteral feeding duration (days), and destination on discharge.

In univariate analysis, participants who had a DLT had significantly higher FOIS scores (indicating better swallowing function) as compared to those with a SLT (P = 0.025).

The median FOIS score on POD 5 with a DLT was 7 (IQR = 2) and with a SLT was 5 (IQR = 4).

Participants who had a DLT had shorter hospital LOS (P = 0.017; single 18 days (IQR = 13), double 14 days (IQR 7)).

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