Table 4 Impact of cuff shape on cuff pressure and microaspiration during continuous control of cuff pressure and routine care
Variables | Continuous control of Pcuffn = 64 | p | Routine care n = 64 | p | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tapered cuff n = 32 | Cylindrical cuff n = 32 | Tapered cuff n = 32 | Cylindrical cuff n = 32 | |||
Recording duration, h | 24 (23–24) | 24 (23–25) | 0.662 | 24 (23–25) | 24 (23–24) | 0.229 |
Mean airway pressure, cm H2O | 13 (10–18) | 13 (11–16) | 0.749 | 12 (10–20) | 15 (11–15) | 0.214 |
Mean Pcuff, cm H2O | 26 (25–28) | 25 (23–28) | 0.844 | 21 (19–26) | 24 (21–30) | 0.143 |
Coefficient of Pcuff variation, % | 5 (3–9) | 6 (3–15) | 0.382 | 18 (15–30) | 20 (14–39) | 0.789 |
Pcuff 20-30 cm H2O | ||||||
yes | 32 (100) | 32 (100) | NA | 32 (100) | 32 (100) | NA |
% of recording time | 97 (82–99) | 88 (56–99) | 0.147 | 42 (30–62) | 44 (29–57) | 0.811 |
Pcuff <20 or >30 cm H2O | ||||||
Yes | 19 (59) | 22 (68) | 0.856 | 32 (100) | 32 (100) | >0.999 |
Duration >30 min | 14 (43) | 19 (59) | 0.455 | 30 (93) | 32 (100) | >0.999 |
Pcuff <20 cm H2O | ||||||
Yes | 6 (18) | 13 (40) | 0.116 | 29 (90) | 31 (96) | >0.999 |
Duration > 30 min | 3 (9) | 13 (40) | 0.011* | 29 (90) | 28 (87) | 0.371 |
% of recording time | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–12) | 0.549 | 41 (17–62) | 21 (8–47) | 0.049 |
Pcuff >30 cm H2O | ||||||
Yes | 15 (46) | 18 (56) | 0.903 | 31 (96) | 31 (96) | >0.999 |
Duration >30 min | 12 (37) | 13 (40) | >0.999 | 24 (75) | 30 (93) | 0.235 |
% of recording time | 0.6 (0–24) | 1.4 (0–48) | 0.652 | 11 (2–17) | 20 (6–18) | 0.031 |
Microaspiration of gastric content | 13 (40) | 19 (59) | 0.211 | 18 (56) | 20 (62) | 0.799 |
Pepsin, ng/mL | 154 (105–230) | 214 (126–466) | 0.066 | 175 (121–252) | 238 (101–664) | 0.238 |
% of tracheal aspirates positive for pepsin | 0 (0–57) | 43 (0–100) | 0.073 | 40 (0–86) | 50 (0–100) | 0.310 |