Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026
Design of a Biocompatible Drug-Eluting Tracheal Stent in Mice with Laryngotracheal Stenosis
Published on: January 21, 2020
Internally coated endotracheal tubes with silver sulfadiazine in polyurethane to prevent bacterial colonization: a
Lorenzo Berra1, Theodor Kolobow, Patrice Laquerriere
1Anesthesia and Critical Care, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA. lberra@partners.org
Objective:
Coated medical devices have been shown to reduce catheter-related infections. We coated endotracheal tubes (ETT) with silver sulfadiazine (SSD), and tested them in a clinical study to assess the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of preventing bacterial colonization.
Design:
A prospective, randomized clinical trial, phase I-II.
Setting:
Academic intensive care unit (ICU).
Participants:
Forty-six adult patients expected to need 12-24 h of intubation were randomized into two groups.
Interventions:
Patients were randomized to be intubated with a standard non-coated ETT (St-ETT, n=23; control group), or with a SSD-coated ETT (SSD-ETT, n=23).
Measurements And Results:
Coating with SSD prevented bacterial colonization of the ETT (frequency of colonization: SSD-ETT 0/23, St-ETT 8/23; p<0.01). No organized bacterial biofilm could be identified on the lumen of any ETT; however, SSD was associated with a thinner mucus layer (in the SSD-ETT secretion deposits ranged from 0 to 200 microm; in the St-ETT deposits ranged between 50 and 700 microm). No difference was observed between the two groups in the tracheobronchial brush samples (frequency of colonization: SSD-ETT 0/23, St-ETT 2/23; p=0.48). No adverse reactions were observed with the implementation of the novel device.
Conclusion:
SSD-ETT can be safely used in preventing bacterial colonization and narrowing of the ETT in patients intubated for up to 24 h (mean intubation time 16 h).
Related Concept Videos
01:15Endotracheal Intubation I: Procedure
The ET tube comprises various components, including a standard adaptor to attach a bag-valve-mask (BVM) or ventilator, a cuff, a pilot balloon, and radiopaque markings along its length to measure the insertion distance. The tube sizes...
01:16Oxygen Delivering System II: Venturi Mask and Transtracheal Oxygen
Venturi Mask
The Venturi mask, named after the Venturi effect, is designed to deliver precise oxygen concentrations. It consists of a large tube with an oxygen inlet that narrows down, causing a pressure drop that pulls air in through adjustable side ports. The mask is a lightweight,...
01:24Endotracheal Tube Extubation
Procedure
Extubation removes the endotracheal tube (ETT) from the patient on mechanical ventilation. It requires a well-coordinated, multidisciplinary approach involving physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other healthcare professionals.
01:17Endotracheal Intubation II: Nursing Management
1. Nursing Care of Patients Before Intubation
Before the endotracheal intubation procedure, nurses play an essential role in ensuring the process goes smoothly. The nurses must be familiar with intubation...
01:28Tracheostomy: Procedure and Tubes
Tracheostomy tubes can be made of semiflexible plastic (polyurethane or silicone), rigid plastic, or metal, and they come in...
01:23Tracheostomy Suctioning II: Procedure