🫁 Recently bronched a patient with a gunked up ETT and wonder how often this happens? 
369 ETTs cut and measured degree of blockage (see pic)
📊 Moderate blockage common (CICU 28%, MICU 17%)
🔑 Risks: coagulopathy, longer ventilation, closed suction
⚠️ Ppeak ↑ but not clinically useful as many blocked tubes did not have this elevation!
Full paper: https://lnkd.in/gKjXsmsj
One Comment
I also wonder – if ETT is blocked or partially blocked with “concretions” like this but the Ppeak is normal, is it physiologically important? In other words, when does it matter?