Endotracheal tube cuff pressure contiuous monitoring in intensive care units patients

Context: Endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff pressure should be kept within an optimal range to ensure positive ventilation and prevent the aspiration of oral and gastric contents while maintaining tracheal perfusion. 

Aims: The aims of the study are to assess the ETT cuff pressure using continuous monitoring. 

Settings and Design: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 61 orally intubated patients receiving mechanical ventilation admitted to the intensive care unit’s educational therapeutic hospitals in Rasht in the summer of 2013. 

Material and Methods: The measurements were carried out using a monitor-connected transducer for 6 h for each unit of study during in two shifts of morning and evening. Variables such as age, sex, diagnosis type, body mass index, and days intubated were investigated. Due to the noninterventional nature of the study, according to the Ethics Committee with registration number 9053, it was not necessary to obtain consent from the patients or their legal guardianship. 

Statistical Analysis Used: All data obtained was analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (t-test, analysis of variance, and Pearson). 

Results: This study showed that cuff pressure in 90.2% of cases was in normal range (20–30 H2 O) and only one person (1.6%) had a pressure of <20 and in 5 (8.2%) higher cuff pressures from 30 cm H2 O. The correlation between days intubated (P = 0.01) and body mass index (P = 0.01) with cuff pressure was statistically significant. 

Conclusions: During the 6-h continuous monitoring, the cuff pressure was 9.8% of normal range and this could be a reminder that to prevent complications due to increased or decreased cuff pressure, it may be necessary to have fewer intervals to control the cuff pressure.