[Changes in intracuff pressure of endotracheal tubes permeable or resistant to nitrous oxide and incidence of postoperative sore throat].
BACKGROUND
We assessed the nitrous oxide (N2O) gas-barrier properties of a new endotracheal tube cuff, the Profile Soft-Seal Cuff (Resistant: R) (Sims Portex, Kent, UK).


METHODS
The tracheas of randomly selected patients were intubated with the Profile Cuff (Permeable: P) (Sims Portex) tuble or with Portex Soft-Seal Cuff (R) (n=20 each) endotracheal tube. Cuffs were inflated with air, and intracuff pressure was measured during anesthesia using 67% N2O. Postoperative sore throat was assessed. In addition, the volume-pressure relationship of the cuff was determined in vitro.


RESULTS
Cuff pressure increased gradually during anesthesia in both groups. The mean cuff pressure of the group R was significantly lower than that of the group P from 10 minutes to 230 minutes. The inflated gas and the deflated gas were not significantly different in both groups. The incidence of postoperative sore throat was not significantly different between the two groups. In vitro, the mean cuff pressure of the group R was significantly lower than that of the group P.


CONCLUSIONS
The difference of cuff pressure is considered due to the difference in cuff compliance.
Department of Anesthesia, Yamamoto Kumiai General Hospital, Noshiro 016-0014.
Koji
K
Sato
Makoto
M
Tanaka
Toshiaki
T
Nishikawa
D000768:Anesthesia, General; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D008297:Male; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D010539:Permeability; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011312:Pressure / Q000009:adverse effects*
D009609:Nitrous Oxide