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.
Cuff leak tests have been performed on countless intubated patients for decades. Despite this widespread prior use, the test remains controversial. The controversies surrounding a cuff leak test focus mainly on the following areas: who exactly should be tested, how to best perform the test, and what to do with the result? The study by Kallet and Lipnick1 in this issue of Respiratory Care provides important insights into these questions.
The original cuff leak test was developed by pediatric intensivists to determine when to extubate children with croup during a 3-month croup epidemic in Ontario, Canada.2 The researchers concluded that the children could be safely extubated if they had decreased secretions and an “audible air leak” with either coughing or with “a positive pressure insufflation of <40 cm H2O.”2 Since then, multiple studies have addressed the question of whether the test is useful in the adult patient population and whether this test can be standardized and …
Correspondence: Ulrich Schmidt MD PhD MBA, University of California San Diego, Department of Anesthesia, 9434 Medical Center Dr, La Jolla, CA 92037. E-mail: uschmidt{at}health.ucsd.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.