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Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine 2010;21(6): 795-800. |
| Effectiveness, Preference and Ease of Passive Release Techniques Using a Syringe for Endotracheal Tube Cuff Inflation |
| Kyung Choon Park, You Dong Sohn, Hee Cheol Ahn, Ji Yoon Ahn, Seung Min Park, Kwang Yun Cho, Hyuk Sool Kwon, Gyu Chong Cho, Jung Tae Choi |
| Department of Emergency Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, Korea. medysohn@hallym.or.kr |
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| ABSTRACT |
PURPOSE:
Inappropriate cuff inflations cause many complications. A conventional pilot balloon palpation technique is insufficient to detect high cuff pressures, but is still preferred. Hence, we conducted this study to identify effectiveness, preference and ease of use of a new estimation technique named "passive release technique" for endotracheal tube cuff inflation.
METHODS:
Twenty-nine nurses inflated cuffs by a pilot balloon palpation technique in manikins inserted with a 7.5 mm endotracheal tube. Then, being educated about passive release techniques, they inflated cuffs using such a passive release technique. Intracuff pressures and air volumes were measured by manometers and syringes. Preference and ease of use between the two methods were scored using a 10-point Likert scale.
RESULTS:
For the pilot balloon palpation technique, only 4 nurses (13.8%) inflated cuffs within the normal range of pressures (normal: 15 to 30 mb) with an average of 39.3+/-34.0 cmH2O. For the passive release technique, 19 nurses (65.5%) inflated cuffs within the normal range of pressures with an average of 24.2+/-9.3 cmH2O (McNemar's test, p<0.01). In the pilot balloon palpation technique, inflated air volumes of 7.8+/-2.0 ml were not significantly different from inflated air volumes 8.5+/-1.2 ml (p=0.07) for the passive release technique. But the difference was found to be statistically significant in a variance ratio test (F-test) (p<0.01). In view of preference and ease of use between the two methods, mean values were not statistically different, 7.3+/-2.0 vs. 7.0+/-2.0 and 7.0+/-2.3 vs. 7.3+/-2.4, respectively.
CONCLUSION:
When direct intracuff measurement is not available, a passive release technique using a syringe is an effective and easy method to achieve cuff inflation. |
| Key words:
Education, Intubation, Pressure |
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