[What is the benefit of subglottic suction?]

Bronchopulmonary infections are the main cause of morbidity and mortality in intensive care wards. Since the usual anatomical and physiological barrier is missing in the intubated patient, oropharyngeal secretion will reach the subglottic space between glottis and upper rim of the low-pressure cuff. Starting from there, continuous microaspiration between cuff and tracheal mucosa leads to bacterial contamination of the upper respiratory tract. In patients with a disturbed immune system from that point on colonization and infection may follow. Therefore one is called upon to search for measures to prevent infection in ventilated patients. Selective decontamination of oropharynx and gastrointestinal tract has been described as an effective method. Others are recommending the application of aminoglycosides in the tracheobroncheal system. Removing retained secreted material is a general surgical principle. Therefore we tested the practicability and effectiveness of a continuous subglottic drainage. At this point we are mainly interested in its clinical aspects and in the method. We investigated the subglottic drainage in 10 intensive care patients who were on long-term mechanical ventilation and had undergone tracheostomy. All patients had an Ultratracheoflex cannula Nr. 9-11 (Rüsch Company, West Germany). It was modified by a suction catheter Ch. 12 (Uno Plast Company, West Germany): We cut two additional small holes in the curved catheter tip and attached the catheter with this part above the cuff at the dorsal convexity to the tracheoflex cannula (see illustration 1). An infusion pump was used for suctioning secretion from the subglottic space by an ordinary infusion set and at a suction flow of 100-125 ml/h.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)