title: Are frequent inner cannula changes necessary?: A pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence of obstruction and colonization in adult patients in the surgical and medical intensive care units who received inner cannula changes daily versus those who did not.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quasi-experimental prospective study using a convenience sample of patients randomly assigned to one of two methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mid-Atlantic university-affiliated tertiary care center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty patients within 24 hours of receiving a surgical tracheostomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Obstruction and bacterial colonization of inner cannula.
  
  
  METHODS
  All inner cannulas were checked daily for obstruction and cultured on postoperative days 1 and 3.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant difference was noted in colonization (p = 0.13) between protocols, and no obstructions were noted in either.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study suggests that the routine practice in critical care units of changing tracheostomy inner cannulas may be unnecessary. Although the results of this study are limited, and may not be generalized to other populations, it demonstrates that practice standards related to the care of tracheostomy inner cannula need to be challenged.
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville 22903, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spilman
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wilmoth
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Turrentine
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wiley
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martens
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Truwit
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004209:Disposable Equipment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000451:nursing*; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D013997:Time Factors; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000451:nursing*