Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to determine factors that affect endotracheal tube cuff pressure (ETCP) in adult patients under mechanical ventilation support in intensive care unit.

Background: Maintaining the ETCP within safe ranges, which ensures airway patency and provides positive pressure ventilation, is a complex circumstance due to many factors. Although there are recommendations for the prevention of excessive or insufficient ETCP, there is still no consensus based on affecting factors.

Design: The study was designed as a cross sectional, descriptive, and correlational study. A total of 67 patients who met the criteria of the study were included in the study, and 264 ETCP measurements were performed during their hospitalization in the intensive care unit.

Results: The mean age was 70.56.7% of participants were men, and 21.4% of them were admitted to the ICU after surgical intervention. The mean ETCP value was 28.5cmHg (5-127 cmHg). 55.7% of measurements were hyperinflation, 58.71% of patients had orotracheal tube, %84.4 of endotracheal tubes had standard circular cuff and mean tube size number was 8.0. Mean head of bed degree was 25 degree and 61.7% of patient was in supine position. In the regression analysis, the variables affecting the nursing image age, body mass index (kg/m2), type of tracheal tube, shape of cuff, size of tube and head of bed degree (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The results of the study show that the ETCP values were mostly high and were affected by both patient-specific factors and endotracheal tube-related factors. It is recommended that standard protocols should be developed to manage ETCP and monitor ETCP by intensive care nurses with frequent intervals, considering patient-specific variables and endotracheal tube characteristics, since potentially undesirable elevations in the patient’s ETCP values are common.