[Protective endotracheal intubation to reduce endotracheal bacterial contamination].
OBJECTIVE
To initially observe the effect of classical endotracheal intubation on endotracheal bacterial contamination and evaluate the validity of protective endotracheal intubation on reducing endotracheal bacterial contamination.


METHODS
Ninety elective patients undergoing general anesthesia for hysterectomy were randomly assigned to two equal groups. Group II received endotracheal intubation protected by sterilized transparent sleeve while group I correspondingly adopted unprotective classical endotracheal intubation. Endotracheal swab sampling and bacterial counting were performed on the principle of aseptic processing before endotracheal intubation and extubation, respectively.


RESULTS
Bacteria were found in 62 of 180 samples. The difference of bacterial counting between before extubation and before intubation was (-0.3 +/- 35.6) 100 CFU/ ml in group II, lower than that in group I, which was (21.4 +/- 56.7) 100 CFU/ml (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Endotracheal bacterial contamination may be caused by unprotective classical endotracheal intubation and could be reduced by protective endotracheal intubation.
Xu
Jian-qing
JQ
Department of Anesthesiology, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China. jqxu@163bj.com
Zhu
Bin
B
Ye
Tie-hu
TH
Ren
Hong-zhi
HZ
D000768:Anesthesia, General; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D014132:Trachea / Q000382:microbiology*