Ex Vivo Evaluation of Secretion-Clearing Device in Reducing Airway Resistance within Endotracheal Tubes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Secretions accumulate in endotracheal tubes' (ETT) lumens upon their placement in patients. The secretions impact airway resistance and pressure. Secretions potentiate prolonged mechanical ventilation and ventilator-associated pneumonia. Our primary objective in this study was to evaluate an ETT-clearing device (ETT-CD) in its ability to remove secretions from ex vivo ETT lumens.

Methods

Forty ETTs, obtained from intensive care patients at extubation, were individually placed into a ventilator field performance testing simulator at 37°C. The pressure drop through the ETTs was measured at a flow rate of 60 L/min before and after cleaning with the ETT-CD and compared with unused, similarly sized controls tubes. The ETT-CD was inserted into an ETT until the ti

SUBMITTER: Waters C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6311789 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature