Effect of continuous oral suctioning on the development of ventilator-associated pneumonia: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Background: Both continuous and intermittent aspiration of subglottic secretions by means of specially designed endotracheal tubes containing a separate dorsal lumen that opens into the subglottic region have been shown to be useful in reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). However, the high cost of these tubes restricts their use.

Objective: The aim of this pilot randomized controlled trial was to test the effect of a low-cost device (saliva ejector) for continuous oral suctioning (COS) on the incidence of VAP in patients receiving mechanical ventilation.