Introduction endotracheal intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation are lifesaving interventions that are commonly performed in the intensive care unit (icu) Laryngeal oedema is a known complication of intubation that may cause airway obstruction in a patient on extubation To date, the only test available to predict this complication is the cuff leak test (clt) The air leak may compromise ventilation and oxygenation plus expose the patient to the risks for aspiration of gastric contents and soilage from oronasal secretions Simply assuming that a cuff leak is related strictly to the cuff itself is a common mistake. Asks, “when a patient is on the ventilator, what causes a leak in the cuff?” answer
There are many causes to a cuff leak First, to clarify, it is rare that a leak within the cuff actually happens What happens most often is a leak around the cuff This leak around the cuff is usually caused by a tube that is too small, or by an overinflated cuff When a tube is too small for the. 24 hours with a ventilator liberation protocol (conditional recommendation, low certainty in the evidence)
Cuff leak from damage to an ett cuff, pilot line, pilot balloon, or valve can cause inadequate ventilation and presents a significant patient safety issue with an unsecure airway.
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