Leakage of fluid around high-volume, low-pressure cuffs - A comparison of four tracheal tubes

We studied the ability of high-volume, low-pressure tracheal tube cuffs (Po rtex Soft Seal(R), Portex Profile(R), Mallinckrodt Lo-Contour(R) and Mallin ckrodt Hi-Lo(R) tubes) to prevent leakage of fluid into the airway, in a mo del trachea and lung. Five tubes (7.0 and 8.0 mm internal diameter) of each type were used. Each tube was inserted into the model trachea and the cuff inflated until the intracuff pressure reached either 20, 30 or 40 cmH(2)O. The model lung was ventilated with a tidal volume of 700 ml and respirator y rate of 14 breath.min(-1) at a compliance of 20 cmH(2)O. Ten millilitres of 0.01% methylene blue solution were infused over the cuff and the volume of fluid leaking past the cuff over 5 min was measured. The leak volume for the Soft Seal tube was less than that for the Profile or Lo-Contour tubes at all intracuff pressures (all p < 0.05). Compared with the Hi-Lo tube, th e volume leaking past the cuff for the Sob Seal tube was greater at an intr acuff pressure of 20 cmH(2)O (p < 0.05), whereas there was no significant d ifference between these two tubes at an intracuff pressure of 30 or 40 cmH( 2)O. We conclude that the cuff of the Portex Soft Seal tube prevented leaka ge of fluid significantly more than that of the Portex Profile or Mallinckr odt Lo-Contour tubes, and to a similar degree to that of the Mallinckrodt H i-Lo tube.