Abstract
A method of estimating subglottal pressure through intraoral pressure has been reported in the literature. In order to determine its utility in the clinical field, however, the method should be tested against direct measurement made on subjects with pathologic larynges. The present study was designed to compare intraoral pressure against subglottal pressure as measured with a sensing tube inserted through a tracheal stoma. Results showed that peak intraoral pressure of /i:pi:/ was smaller than subglottal pressure when the former showed the values larger than about 20 cm H2O. We concluded that the magnitude of subglottal pressure did not always be represented by peak intraoral pressure of /p/ production. This conclusion, however, does not harm the usefulness of this method of estimation, since the estimation of subglottal pressure would be required when we want to know if the subglottal pressure is within the normal range, rather than when high subglottal pressure is easily presumed with other clinical symtopms.
