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Cuff pressure manometer - a luxury or necessity?

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Original Article

Author Details : Sangeetha Balakrishnan, Kevin Koshy Jacob

Volume : 3, Issue : 4, Year : 2016

Article Page : 588-592

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Abstract

Background: It is recommended to maintain endotracheal tube cuff pressure within a range of 20 to 30 cm H₂O to prevent complications.
Objective: To assess the ability of experienced anesthesiologists to inflate endotracheal tube cuffs to optimal range of cuff pressure by subjective assessment alone.
Methodology: An observational study was conducted to assess the ability of experienced anesthesiologists to inflate endotracheal tube cuffs to optimal range of cuff pressure by subjective assessment alone. 150 adult patients of either sex posted for elective surgeries were intubated and cuffs were inflated guided by subjective assessment alone. The pressure in these cuffs were then measured using a cuff pressure manometer and recorded. Statistical analysis was done using SSPS 18 (trial version). The primary outcome studied was the distribution of cuff pressures whether it was within or out of normal range (20 to 30 cmH₂O). The relation of cuff pressure with age, sex, height, weight and nutritional status was looked for using Chi-square, Fischer Exact and Correlation tests.
Results: The anesthesiologists were able to inflate the cuff to an optimal cuff pressure only in 64% of cases. The cuff pressures were recorded as low in 17.3% while in 18.7% of cases the cuff pressure reached above the optimal range. No relation was established between cuff pressure and age, gender, height, weight or nutritional status.
Conclusions: Even experienced anesthesiologists are not able to inflate the endotracheal tube cuff up to optimal cuff pressure by using subjective assessment alone in all cases.

Keywords: Intubation, Endotracheal tube cuff pressure, Minimal Occlusive Volume, Intratracheal, cuff pressure manometer

How to cite : Balakrishnan S, Jacob K K, Cuff pressure manometer - a luxury or necessity?. Indian J Clin Anaesth 2016;3(4):588-592

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