Nostril Side on Epistaxis

This prospective randomized controlled study was approved by the IRB of our institute.

Patients requiring nasotracheal intubation will be screened for eligibility for the study. Then, patients will be randomized to one of two groups; (Group I: tube will be inserted through the left nostril and advanced into the oral cavity / Group II: tube will be inserted through the right nostril and advanced into the oral cavity). After induction of anesthesia and muscle relaxation, the preformed nasal RAE (Ring-Adair-Elwyn) tube will be inserted via the nostril, which is assigned to each patient according to the group, approximately 3-4 cm. Next, an anesthesiologist will advance the tube into the oral cavity. After the tube is placed in the oral cavity, the anesthesiologist will perform nasotracheal intubation with Magill forceps. After that, an investigator will check the occurrence of epistaxis due to nasotracheal intubation and its severity with a fiberoptic bronchoscope. After obtaining all data, investigators will analyze the incidence of epistaxis and its severity between the two groups.

Inclusion criteria

• adult patients requiring nasotracheal intubation for elective surgery

Exclusion criteria

• refuse to participate in the study
• severe deformity in the nose
• current severe epistaxis
• cannot insert the tube into a specific nostril side due to any reason