Table 1 Baseline characteristics

Age ( yrs), mean ± SD

55.5 ± 21.7

56.9 ± 20.5

53.1 ± 23.4

0.25

Male gender, N (%)

121 (60)

73 (58.4)

48 (63.2)

0.50

Height (cm), mean ± SD

163.0 ± 12.6

163.1 ± 12.4

162.8 ± 13.0

0.85

Weight (kg), mean ± SD

76.9 ± 23.6

77.4 ± 25.8

76.1 ± 19.3

0.69

Body mass index (Kg/m²), mean ± SD

28.9 ± 8.4

29.2 ± 9.1

28.5 ± 7.0

0.58

Admission category, N (%)

 Medical

148 (73.6)

96 (78.0)

52 (69.3)

0.3

 Surgical

11 (5.5)

7 (5.7)

4 (5.3)

 Trauma

39 (19.4)

20 (16.3)

19 (25.3)

Ventilation duration before cuff pressure measurements (days), mean +/- SD

8.5 ± 16.4

9.7 ± 19.6

6.4 ± 7.6

0.18

GCS score, mean ± SD

6.5 ± 3.0

6.3 ± 3.0

6.9 ± 3.1

0.19

Mean arterial pressure* (mmHg), mean ± SD

78 ± 11

79 ± 12

78 ± 10

0.69

Respiratory rate* (per min), mean ± SD

21 ± 5

22 ± 6

21 ± 4

0.09

PaO₂/FIO₂*, mean ± SD

268 ± 61

261 ± 62

280 ± 58

0.03

Difficult intubation**, N (%)

25 (15.8)

14 (14.4)

11 (18.0)

0.55

Reintubation**, N (%)

28 (16)

18 (16.2)

10 (15.6)

0.92

Oral endotracheal intubation**, N (%)

160 (79.6)

102 (81.6)

58 (76.3)

0.37

Mark at the lip* (cm)

22.0 ± 2.1

22.0 ± 1.9

22.0 ± 2.3

0.87

Tracheostomy, N (%)

41 (20.4)

23 (18.4)

18 (23.7)

0.37

ETT size, mean ± SD

7.6 ± 0.6

7.7 ± 0.5

7.5 ± 0.6

0.046

ETT with subglottic suctioning**, N (%)

25 (13.2)

17 (14.5)

8 (11.1)

0.50

PEEP (cm H₂O), mean ± SD

6.5 ± 2

6.6 ± 2.2

6.2 ± 1.8

0.13

Peak inspiratory pressure (cm H₂O), mean ± SD

23.2 ± 5.4

23.8 ± 5.3

22.0 ± 5.3

0.02

Mean airway pressure (cm H₂O), mean ± SD

11.7 ± 3

12.1 ± 3.9

11.1 ± 2.9

0.05