Effects of Wet Versus Dry Warming Techniques on the Hardness of Nasotracheal Tubes

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Background and aimNasotracheal intubation is widely used in oral and maxillofacial surgery but is frequently associated with epistaxis.To reduce mucosal trauma, pre-warming the tube with warm water is commonly used; however, time-dependent changes in tube hardness and limitations of warming methods remain concerns.This study aimed to evaluate the softening effect of dry warming with heated gloves compared with conventional warm-water-based warming. MethodsNasotracheal tubes (NT) were cut into 1 cm² sections and measured at room temperature.They were then warmed for 10 min in either 40°C warm water or with 55°C heated gloves.Hardness was measured at 5 s after warming ended and every 30 s for 5 min.Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and Mann-Whitney U tests. ResultsThe heated-glove group showed significantly greater softening than the warm-water group at 5 s after warming ended and at 30, 60, 120, and 150 s after warming (p < 0.05).By 240 s, both groups had recovered to approximately 90% of baseline hardness.Measurement reliability was good (intraclass correlation coefficient {ICC} = 0.78). DiscussionDry warming offers advantages over wet warming, including ease of preparation, reduced risk of burns or contamination, and consistent temperature control.Warming to 55°C was considered acceptable for shortterm use with respect to tube material tolerance. ConclusionDry warming with heated gloves provides greater early softening than warm water-based warming and may serve as a practical method for NT tube preparation.This study focused on physical properties; clinical outcomes such as pain, mucosal injury, or airway patency were not assessed.Further clinical studies are warranted.

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