Occurrence of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia in Italian ICU Using Cuffed Tracheostomy Tubes With Subglottic Secretion Drainage

Respiratory Failure

Patients, mechanical, ventilation, tracheostomy

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a serious complication and carries increased risks of morbidity and mortality for patients who require mechanical ventilation. VAP is associated with the contamination and colonization of bacteria in the lower airway. These bacteria may be present in the lower airway by the aspiration of oropharyngeal secretions. Therefore limiting the amount of secretions that pass the glottis and enter the airway is paramount. Patients who require prolonged mechanical ventilation may have a tracheostomy tube placed to manage breathing. These tubes may have a distal cuff which sits within the trachea. When the cuff is inflated, oropharyngeal secretions will pool above the cuff of the tracheostomy tube thereby limiting the amount of secretions entering the lower airway. These secretions may leak around the cuff and cause tracheobronchial colonization. It has been shown that removal of secretions that pool above the cuff via dorsal lumen suction leads to a decreased incidence of VAP. The purpose of this study is to measure the effect of suction above the cuff tracheostomy tubes related to VAP incidence

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Italy