The average and maximum pressures along with the contact area were measured for each tube tested. The endotracheal tube was centered inside the fixture and the cuff was inflated to 25cmH 2O. The design of this array allows for the pressure profile of the cuff to be mapped along its entire circumference where it contacts the cylinder wall. The pressure array is made up of 32 x 25 capacitative sensor elements, with each element measuring 2.0 mm x 2.0 mm. The inside diameter of this fixture is 20.0mm, the standard diameter for testing 7.5mm endotracheal tubes. A pressure sensitive array (Pressure Profile Systems, Inc., Los Angeles, CA) was mounted inside a standard acrylic cylinder used for testing cuff seal performance. Measurements were performed on ten tubes with the barrel shaped cuff (Mallinckrodt Hi-Lo Evac TM) and ten tubes with the taper shaped cuff (Mallinckrodt TaperGuard Evac TM). The present study focuses on mapping the pressure profiles of the two different cuff designs. It is well known that if the pressure inside the cuff is too high, the potential for mucosal ischemia and subsequent tracheal trauma is increased. There have been concerns that the smaller sealing band translates to higher forces applied to the patient’s trachea, resulting in possible damage to the tracheal tissue. The tapered shape provides a smaller area of contact between the cuff and tracheal wall, as compared to the traditional high volume, low pressure, barrel shaped cuffs. University of Arizona Medical Center, Tucson, Arizona, United StatesĪ newly designed taper shaped cuff was introduced into the clinical market claiming that the new taper shape will decrease the incidence of microaspiration, thereby protecting the airways and lungs. Lichtenthal, M.D., Lockett Wood, Ph.D., Alissa Wong, M.S., Ulf Borg, R.R.T. Pressure Applied to Tracheal Wall by Barrel and Taper Shaped Cuffs
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