[Measurement of tube cuff pressure levels in intensive care unit: considerations on the benefits of training].

Background And Objectives: The tube cuff pressure directly transmitted on the tracheal wall in an irregular form can cause injuries and lead to bronchoaspiration. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that the implementation of routine tube cuff pressure measurements result in a reliable control to maintain the measurements within the parameters considered safe, thus preventing the described complications.

Methods: A total of 3,195 tube cuff measurements were obtained from 1,194 male and female patients admitted at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Coronary Unit (CU), who were undergoing mechanical ventilation with endotracheal prosthesis and tracheotomy cannula, during the morning and afternoon periods.

[Implementation, assessment and comparison of the T-Tube and pressure-support weaning protocols applied to the intensive care unit patients who had received mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours].

Background And Objectives: Mechanical ventilation incurs significant morbidity and mortality, weaning intensive care unit patients is highly desirable, although it is usuallyconducted in an empirical manner. Thus, this article assessed a weaning protocol implementation and compared two different methods.

Methods: It was carried out a study involving 120 patients who had received mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours.