RESPIRATION AND THE AIRWAY Effect of tracheal tube cuff shape on fluid leakage across the cuff: an in vitro study

Key points † Optimizing tracheal sealing is of clinical interest: fluid leakage past the tube cuff plays an important role in the pathogenesis of VAP. † Tapered shaped tube cuff offering a sealing zone with reduced folds and channels is a new strategy to minimize fluid leakage past the tracheal tube cuff. † Tracheal tube cuffs made from PVC show much more and faster fluid leakage than cuffs made from PU in a simulated artificial model. † Tracheal sealing with tapered shape PU tube cuff is as efficient as the conventional cylindrical PU tube cuff in smaller tracheal diameters and more efficient at higher tracheal diameter with regard to tracheal sealing against fluid leakage. Background. This study compared the fluid leakage in the new ‘tapered’ shaped against the classic ‘cylindrical’ shaped tracheal tube cuffs when placed in different sized tracheas.