Airway maintenance in patients with long-term endotracheal intubation

Long-term endotracheal intubation in seriously ill patients is frequently complicated by nosocomial infection of the tracheobronchial tree, especially with aerobic gram negative bacilli. A further complication is drying of pulmonary secretions unless the medical gases given are humidified. The performance characteristics of humidifying system used in spontaneously breathing, intubated patients is described. This system possesses the potential to decrease infection, provides physiologic humidification without nebulization, and, by avoiding air dilution, allows the administration of a precisely regulated FIO2.