Endotracheal tube leak pressure and tracheal lumen size in swine.
Endotracheal tube "leak" is often estimated in children to judge the fit of uncuffed endotracheal tubes within the trachea. Twenty-five swine were intubated with uncuffed tracheal tubes to determine whether a more sensitive measurement of leaks could be devised and whether leak pressure estimates fit between tracheal tube and trachea. We compared leak pressure measurement using a stethoscope and aneroid manometer with a technique using a microphone, pressure transducer, and recorder, and found no differences between the two methods. The tracheas were then removed and slides prepared of tracheal cross-sectional specimens. Regression analysis revealed a linear relationship between tracheal lumen size and tracheal tube size for both low leak pressure (y = -0.4 + 0.79x, r = 0.88, P less than 0.05) and high leak pressure (y = -2.9 + 0.71x, r = 0.92, P less than 0.05) groups. We conclude that leak testing with a stethoscope and aneroid manometer is sensitive and accurate, and that tracheal tube leak pressure accurately portrays fit between tube and trachea.
D A
DA
Finholt
S M
SM
Audenaert
J A
JA
Stirt
K L
KL
Marcella
H F
HF
Frierson
L T
LT
Suddarth
R C
RC
Raphaely
D000818:Animals; D004868:Equipment Failure; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D008365:Manometry; D011312:Pressure; D013552:Swine; D014132:Trachea / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014159:Transducers