Background: The increase in endotracheal tube cuff pressure due to nitrous oxide diffusion is a well-known risk during general anesthesia using nitrous oxide. We hypothesized that lubricating endotracheal tube cuffs with K-Y™ Jelly might inhibit the increase in cuff pressure that occurs during exposure to nitrous oxide.
Methods: We used two types of endotracheal tube cuffs: one made from ultrathin polyurethane (PU) and another made from conventional polyvinyl chloride (PVC).