Endotracheal tube intraluminal volume loss among mechanically ventilated patients

Chirag Shah, Marin H. Kollef

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

78 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: To measure endotracheal tube intraluminal volume loss among mechanically ventilated patients. Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: Medical intensive care unit (19 beds) of an urban university- affiliated teaching hospital. Patients: A total of 101 patients with acute respiratory failure requiring >24 hrs of mechanical ventilation. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Acoustic reflectometry was employed to measure the intraluminal volume of 13-cm endotracheal tube segments. The endotracheal tube segment volumes were statistically smaller among endotracheal tubes used in patients compared with unused endotracheal tubes (5. 4 ± 0.7 vs. 6.0 ± 0.6 mL, p < .001). The average percentage difference in endotracheal tube segment volumes, between the unused endotracheal tubes and the endotracheal tubes used in patients, was 9.8% (range, 0-45.5%). The percentage difference in the endotracheal tube segment volumes increased significantly with increasing duration of tracheal intubation (r 2 = .766, p < .001). The minimum diameter of the endotracheal tube segments was also statistically smaller among endotracheal tubes used in patients compared with the unused endotracheal tubes (7.5 ± 0.4 vs. 6.7 ± 1.2 mm, p < .001). Conclusions: Endotracheal tube intraluminal volume loss is common among patients with acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation and increases with prolonged tracheal intubation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)120-125
Number of pages6
JournalCritical care medicine
Volume32
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2004

Keywords

  • Biofilm
  • Endotracheal tube
  • Mechanical ventilation
  • Pneumonia
  • Secretions

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