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Case Reports
. 2008 Jan;3(1):23-5.
doi: 10.4103/1817-1737.37950.

Acquired tracheoesophageal fistula due to high intracuff pressure

Akmal A Hameed  1 , Hasan Mohamed, Motasem Al-Mansoori
Affiliations
Case Reports

Acquired tracheoesophageal fistula due to high intracuff pressure

Akmal A Hameed et al. Ann Thorac Med. 2008 Jan.

Abstract

High-compliance endotracheal tube cuffs are used to prevent gas leak and also pulmonary aspiration in mechanically ventilated patients. However, the use of the usual cuff inflation volumes may cause tracheal damage and lead to tracheoesophageal fistula.Tracheostomy tube cuffs seal against the tracheal wall and prevent leakage of air around the tube, assuring that the tidal volume is delivered to the lungs. In the past, high-pressure cuffs were used, but these contributed to tracheal injury and have been replaced by high-volume, low-pressure cuffs. For long-term applications, some newer tubes have low-profile (tight to shaft) cuffs that facilitate the tracheostomy tube changes by eliminating the lip that forms when standard cuffs are deflated.

Keywords: Cuff leak; endotracheal tube; intracuff pressure; tracheal damage; tracheoesophageal fistula.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The arrow in chest radiograph shows tracheoesophageal fistula
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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