This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.
Endotracheal suctioning is a crucial procedure to remove secretions for intubated patients, but it is often accompanied by patient discomfort and potential adverse effects. In an effort to alleviate these important clinical considerations, Nielsen et al1 introduced an innovative, automated approach to secretion removal for intubated patients during mechanical ventilation. Whereas the efficacy of a similar device prototype has been evaluated in bench and swine models by Zanella et al,2 the current study represents a significant step forward by testing automatic secretion removal in human subjects.
In this prospective, non-controlled study, 20 mechanically ventilated subjects were enrolled to investigate the effectiveness of an automated secretion removal device that uses rapid deflation and inflation of the endotracheal tube cuff during the inspiratory phase of a mechanical ventilation breath.1 Notably, the automated device achieved a success rate of 90%, substantially reducing the clinical need for endotracheal suctioning in most cases. Automated secretion removal was shown to be effective across …
Correspondence: Jie Li PhD RRT RRT-ACCS RRT-NPS FAARC, 600 S Paulina Street, Suite 765, Chicago 60612, IL. E-mail: jie_li{at}rush.edu
Pay Per Article - You may access this article (from the computer you are currently using) for 1 day for US$30.00
Regain Access - You can regain access to a recent Pay per Article purchase if your access period has not yet expired.