Efficacy of the transillumination method for appropriate tracheal tube placement in small children: a randomized controlled trial.

•Two methods for appropriate tracheal tube placement were compared in small children.•The probability of appropriate TT placement was 80% in transillumination method.•The probability of appropriate TT placement was 65% in main-stem method.•The reliability of 2 methods was almost the same for appropriate TT placement.