Endotracheal Tube Cuff Inflation Methods in School-Age Children: Flow-Volume Loop-Guided Versus Stethoscope-Guided | Respiratory Care
Background: In pediatric patients, the intracuff pressure of endotracheal tubes should be as low as possible to prevent injury to the tracheal mucosal wall. The conventional stethoscope-guided technique relies solely on the operator’s sensitivity of audible detection, which may lead to increased intracuff pressure. This study was conducted to compare the flow-volume loop guided technique for endotracheal tube cuff inflation with the stethoscope-guided technique and to determine whether the flow-volume loop guided technique results in lower and more consistent intracuff pressure. Methods: The participants were randomized to undergo either the flow-volume loop guided or the stethoscope-guided cuff inflation technique. In the flow-volume loop guided group, the cuff was inflated until the flow-volume loop was completely sealed. In the stethoscope-guided group, the cuff was inflated until the leakage was not audible. Cuff inflation was performed twice with incremental volumes of 0.5 mL and
