Insights on the Role of Antimicrobial Cuffed Endotracheal Tubes in Preventing Transtracheal Transmission of VAP Pathogens from an In Vitro Model of Microaspiration and Microbial Proliferation
Figure 4
Time to “lung” contamination with gendine ETT compared to subglottic suctioning ETT. Mean and standard deviation of measured bacterial concentrations (colony-forming units [CFU]/mL) from the upper (above the cuff; (a) and (c)) and lower (“lung”; (b) and (d)) chambers in the in vitro model run in microbial proliferation only mode comparing quadruplicate runs of the ETT with soft-tapered cuff and subglottic suctioning (S/T-C + S-S ETT) and the antimicrobial gendine treated standard ETT (gendine ETT) at various sampling time points. The models were run with ETT cuff inflation pressures maintained at 100 cm H2O. Inocula of CFU/mL of PA (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) were pipetted on top of the cuff at time = 0 hrs. (a) above the cuff, PA; (b) below the cuff, PA; (c) above the cuff, MRSA; (d) below the cuff, MRSA. Statistically significant pairwise differences .
