Airway management: oesophageal detector device: practice question

A Anaesthesia question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Anaesthesia · Airway management: oesophageal detector device

Sample item

A syringe or self-inflating bulb is attached to a tracheal tube just placed, and aspiration meets marked resistance and the bulb fails to re-expand. What does this suggest?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Oesophageal placement of the tube

The oesophagus is a collapsible tube without rigid rings, so its walls collapse over the tube tip when suction is applied and air cannot be drawn. In the trachea the cartilage rings keep the lumen open and air is aspirated easily. The test is a useful backup when capnography is unavailable.

Option by option

  • A. Correct tracheal placement

    A tracheal tube aspirates air freely and the bulb refills quickly.

  • B. A kinked circuit

    The device tests the tube tip and not the breathing circuit.

  • C. Endobronchial intubation

    Endobronchial position would still allow free aspiration of air.

  • D. Oesophageal placement of the tube (correct)

    Correct. Collapse of the oesophageal wall blocks aspiration.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Anaesthesia question

What is the answer to this Anaesthesia question?

The best answer is D, Oesophageal placement of the tube. The oesophagus is a collapsible tube without rigid rings, so its walls collapse over the tube tip when suction is applied and air cannot be drawn.

Why is "Correct tracheal placement" not the answer?

A tracheal tube aspirates air freely and the bulb refills quickly.

Why is "A kinked circuit" not the answer?

The device tests the tube tip and not the breathing circuit.

Why is "Endobronchial intubation" not the answer?

Endobronchial position would still allow free aspiration of air.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Airway management: oesophageal detector device in Anaesthesia. In the trachea the cartilage rings keep the lumen open and air is aspirated easily. The test is a useful backup when capnography is unavailable.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Airway management: oesophageal detector device?

Make a table of each agent, its key advantage and its main side effect. Then use the flashcards and the other Anaesthesia questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.