UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: DOPE

Category: Critical Care

Keywords: post-intubation hypoxia, pneumothorax, mechanical ventilation (PubMed Search)

Posted: 8/5/2008 by Mike Winters, MBA, MD (Updated: 5/24/2025)
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Post-intubation deterioration? Remember DOPE

The pneumonic DOPE can help you remember the most common causes of post-intubation hypoxia or deterioration
Displacement: check the endotracheal tube for displacement (right mainstem) or dislodgement
Obstruction: check the ETT for obstruction (mucous plug, kink in ventilator tubing)
Pneumothorax - get an xray
Equipment failure(unusual): disconnect patient from the ventilator and bag manually