Thursday, April 12, 2012

Endotracheal Tube Cuff Pressure

Endotracheal tube cuff pressure must be kept within an optimal range that ensures ventilation and prevents aspiration while maintaining tracheal perfusion.

One study published in AJCC about a year ago looked into 32 orally intubated patients receiving mechanical ventilation for two 12-hour shifts labelled as randomized control and intervention condition respectively.

Continuous cuff pressure monitoring was initiated, and the pressure was adjusted to a minimum of 22 cm H2O. Caregivers were blinded to cuff pressure data.

  • Usual care was provided during the control condition.
  • During the intervention condition, cuff pressure alarm or clinical triggers guided the intervention.

It was found that
  • During the control condition, 51.7% of cuff pressure values were out of range compared with 11.1% during the intervention condition (P less than .001).
  • During the intervention, a mean of 8 adjustments were required, mostly to add air to the endotracheal tube cuff.
  • During the control condition, cuff pressure decreased over time (P less than .001).

Evaluation of an Intervention to Maintain Endotracheal Tube Cuff Pressure Within Therapeutic Range - Am J Crit Care

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