Articles: tracheal-tube.
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Microaspiration of contaminated oropharyngeal and gastric secretions is the main mechanism for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in critically ill patients. Improving the performance of tracheal tubes in reducing microaspiration is one potential means to prevent VAP. The aim of this narrative review is to discuss recent findings on the impact of tracheal tube design on VAP prevention. ⋯ There is moderate evidence for the use of SSD and strong evidence against the use of tapered-cuff tracheal tubes in critically ill patients for VAP prevention. However, more data on the safety and cost-effectiveness of these measures are needed. Other tracheal tube-related preventive measures require further investigation.
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Review Comparative Study
Comparison of laryngeal mask airway vs tracheal intubation: a systematic review on airway complications.
To determine whether the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) has advantages over the tracheal tube (TT) in terms of incidence of cough, sore throat, laryngospasm, dysphagia, dysphonia, and blood staining. This is a systematic literature review performed at the Universtity Medical Center of Utrecht. The online databases PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials. ⋯ Overall, no clear advantage of the LMA over the TT was found but the LMA Supreme was related to the lowest incidence of airway complications. In this review, no clear difference in incidence of postoperative airway complications could be demonstrated between LMA and TT. The LMA Supreme may reduce the incidence of airway complication in comparison to the TT but high quality randomized trials are recommended to further objectify if use of the LMA decreases the risk on postoperative airway complications.
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Postoperative sore throat has a reported incidence of up to 62% following general anaesthesia. In adults undergoing tracheal intubation, female sex, younger age, pre-existing lung disease, prolonged duration of anaesthesia and the presence of a blood-stained tracheal tube on extubation are associated with the greatest risk. Tracheal intubation without neuromuscular blockade, use of double-lumen tubes, as well as high tracheal tube cuff pressures may also increase the risk of postoperative sore throat. ⋯ Children with respiratory tract disease are at increased risk. The use of supraglottic airway devices, oral, rather than nasal, tracheal intubation and cuffed, rather than uncuffed, tracheal tubes have benefit in reducing the incidence of postoperative sore throat in children. Limiting both tracheal tube and supraglottic airway device cuff pressure may also reduce the incidence.