Pressures on endotracheal tube cuffs

Endotracheal Tube Cuffs: Design and Function

Leakage of fluid around endotracheal tube cuffs: a cadaver study

BACKGROUND The aim of the study was to evaluate the leakage of liquid past the cuffs of tracheal tubes in fresh frozen human heads. METHODS Six truncated fresh frozen heads were used and intubated with 8.0 mm endotracheal tubes. The intracuff pressures tested were 30 and 100 cmH2O. Subsequently, 20 ml of each of two oral antiseptic rinses (0.2% chlorhexidine and octenidine [octenidol®, Schülk...

Diffusion of nitrous oxide through endotracheal tube cuffs

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an inhalational anesthetic that is frequently used for general anesthesia. While N2O is not sufficient for maintaining general anesthesia if used alone, when used in combination with a volatile inhalation agent, N2O decreases the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of the volatile inhalational agent, thereby reducing the amount of the agent required during longer procedu...

Digital display of endotracheal tube cuff pressures made simple.

To the Editor:-There are many situations in which monitoring endotracheal tube cuff pressure is desirable. A number of devices have been developed to allow such monitoring. However, one may obtain a continuous digital display of endotracheal tube cuff pressure in the operating room (OR) or intensive care unit using readily available equipment. An ordinary (usually disposable) air-filled pressur...

Novel endotracheal tube cuffs: improving the seal as a barrier to leakage.

Nosocomial infections are a challenge to the base credo of doing no harm to our patients. Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is an iatrogenic complication in patients who require invasive mechanical ventilation. Unfortunately, as with any such generic term, the truth is missed. The ventilator is not the cause, nor the mechanism, by which the pneumonia develops. Rather, VAP usually results fr...