title: Effect of patient position on endotracheal cuff pressure in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endotracheal tube cuff pressure must be maintained within 20-30mH2O to prevent complications. There is limited literature reporting the impact of nursing care on endotracheal cuff pressure. However, few studies have reported the effect of nursing care on endotracheal cuff pressure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was performed to investigate the effects of body position on endotracheal cuff pressure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five patients receiving mechanical ventilatory therapy were placed in a baseline position (semirecumbent position with the head of the bed elevated at 30° and head in a neutral position) with endotracheal tube cuff was adjusted to 25cmH2O. The patients were moved into 16 different positions: anteflexion of the head; hyperextension of the head; left lateral flexion of the head; right lateral flexion of the head; rotation of the head to the left; rotation of the head to the right; semirecumbent position with 45° elevation of the head of the bed; recumbent position with 10° elevation of the head of the bed; supine position; trendelenburg position 10°; left lateral position at 30°, 45°, and 90°; and right lateral position at 30°, 45°, and 90°. The endotracheal tube cuff pressure was measured and recorded after each position change.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 400 endotracheal tube cuff pressure measurements (25 patients×16 positions) 10 (2.5%) were lower than 20cmH2O; 201 (50.3%) were between 20-30cmH2O and 189 (47.3%) were higher than 30cmH2O. Mean endotracheal tube cuff pressure increased from 25 to 32.59±4.08cmH2O after changing the patients' position. Friedman test indicated a statistically significant deviation in the ETCP across the 16 positions (X2: 122.019, p: 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Body positioning during daily nursing care effected the endotracheal tube cuff pressure, suggesting that endotracheal tube cuff pressure should be measured after changing a patient's position and adjusted within the recommended range.
authors.affiliation: Surgical Nursing Department, Ege University Faculty of Nursing, Turkey. Electronic address: aliyeokgun@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Aliye
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okgun Alcan
authors.affiliation: Surgical Nursing Department, Ege University Faculty of Nursing, Turkey.
authors.forename: Meryem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yavuz van Giersbergen
authors.affiliation: Ege University Hospital Anesthesiology and Reanimation ICU, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gulin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dincarslan
authors.affiliation: Ege University Hospital Anesthesiology and Reanimation ICU, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ziynet
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hepcivici
authors.affiliation: Ege University Hospital Anesthesiology and Reanimation ICU, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erdem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.affiliation: Anesthesiology and Reanimation Department, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uyar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016638:Critical Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056888:Patient Positioning; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D014421:Turkey
keywords: Critical care; Cuff pressure; Endotracheal tube; Nursing; Position change