Double lumen endotracheal tube

A double lumen endotracheal tube is a type of intubation device where there are two lumens.

It is designed to isolate the lungs from one another anatomically and/or physiologically:

anatomical lung separation: isolation of diseased lung from contaminating the non-diseased lung
- massive hemoptysis (protect from blood)
- whole lung lavage for pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (lavage worst lung first)
- copious secretions (e.g. bronchiectasis, lung abscess: protect from pus
physiological lung separation (ventilates each lung as an independent unit)
- unilateral parenchymal injury:
  - aspiration: esp if unilateral
  - pulmonary contusion: unilateral
  - pneumonia
  - unilateral pulmonary edema
- single lung transplant (post operative complications)
- bronchopleural fistula
- allow ventilation of normal lung without worsening leak through fistula
- unilateral bronchospasm
- thoracic surgery, e.g. pneumonectomy: right-sided double-lumen tube only used if left pneumonectomy or surgery on left main bronchus (e.g. to avoid dispruption of anastomosis on left lung transplant)