The Effect of Different Patient Positions on Endotracheal Tube Cuff Pressure

Plain-language summary

Background: The placement of a cuffed endotracheal tube for the administration of general anesthesia is a routine procedure. In the part of the intubation tube located in the trachea, there is a balloon (cuff) to prevent gase leakage, aspiration of secretions and gastric contents into the lungs. Inadequate inflation of cuff may lead to inadequate ventilation, aspiration and associated complications, while excessive inflation may cause complications in ranging from postoperative pharyngeal complaints to tracheal rupture due to increased cuff pressure. This study aimed to determine the effect of different patient positions on the endotracheal cuff pressure in patients undergoing urological procedures. Methods: This is a prospective study conducted on 200 patients undergoing urological procedures in supine, prone, lateral flank and litotomy positions. After intubation (T0), the cuff pressure was checked with a cuff manometer and adjusted at 25 cmH2O as the baseline and continuously monitored. The cuff pressure was checked again before (T1) and after achieving the final position (T2) and then at 5 (T3), 10 (T4), 15 (T5), 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180 minutes after the position, at the end of the procedure (T6) and before extubation (T7). At postoperative 2nd and 12th hours, the patients were interviewed for sore throat, hoarseness and cough.

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