Bite wedge

Blue bite wedge, as part of an intubation set

A bite wedge is a wedge-shaped piece of rubber that is pushed between the teeth to keep a patient from biting. After an endotracheal intubation , it is intended to prevent the patient from biting the tube and thus closing it functionally or, in extreme cases, damaging it; alternatively, the Guedel tube is often used here .

A bite wedge is still used to protect the tongue in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

The use of a bite wedge for epileptic seizures is obsolete. The tongue bite, which often occurs at the beginning of a tonic-clonic seizure, cannot be prevented by a subsequent placement of a bite wedge. However, there is a considerable risk of injury for both the patient and the practitioner when attempting to press the wedge between the tonic cramped jaws.

Individual evidence

↑ Michael Möllmann, Hemping-Bovenkerk (Ed.): Tailor- made anesthesia. Thieme, Stuttgart 2015, ISBN 978-3-13-202051-1 , p. 157.
^ Holger Grehl, Frank-Michael Reinhardt: Checklist neurology. 6th edition, Thieme, Stuttgart 2016, ISBN 978-3-13-243578-0 , p. 572.
↑ Andreas Bender, Jan Rémi, Berend Feddersen, Gunther Maximilian Fesl: Short textbook neurology. 3rd edition, Urban & Fischer, 2018, ISBN 978-3-437-41165-6 , p. 154.

[1] Michael Möllmann, Hemping-Bovenkerk (Ed.): Tailor- made anesthesia. Thieme, Stuttgart 2015, ISBN 978-3-13-202051-1 , p. 157.

[checkliste-2] Holger Grehl, Frank-Michael Reinhardt: Checklist neurology. 6th edition, Thieme, Stuttgart 2016, ISBN 978-3-13-243578-0 , p. 572.

[3] Andreas Bender, Jan Rémi, Berend Feddersen, Gunther Maximilian Fesl: Short textbook neurology. 3rd edition, Urban & Fischer, 2018, ISBN 978-3-437-41165-6 , p. 154.