RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Experience With a New Device for Clearing Mucus From the Endotracheal Tube JF Respiratory Care FD American Association for Respiratory Care SP 520 OP 522 DO 10.4187/respcare.00642 VO 56 IS 4 A1 Robert H Stone A1 Stephen S Bricknell YR 2011 UL http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/56/4/520.abstract AB Partial or total obstruction of an endotracheal tube (ETT) by mucus can cause severe respiratory distress, hypoxemia, or death. Signs of an obstructed ETT include increased ventilation pressure, changes in the ventilator graphics, SpO2 decrease, and cardiovascular changes. We present 3 patients whose ETTs were partially obstructed by mucus. In each case the patient displayed adverse effects from the obstruction, but once the obstruction was removed they showed dramatic improvement. In each case we used a new device (Rescue Cath, Omneotech, Tavernier, Florida) designed to remove mucus from the ETT lumen. The 3 cases demonstrate that the device is effective and capable of relieving the adverse effects of ETT mucus obstruction.