Protective endotracheal intubation to reduce endotracheal bacterial contamination / 中国医学科学院学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To initially observe the effect of classical endotracheal intubation on endotracheal bacterial contamination and evaluate the validity of protective endotracheal intubation on reducing endotracheal bacterial contamination.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety elective patients undergoing general anesthesia for hysterectomy were randomly assigned to two equal groups. Group II received endotracheal intubation protected by sterilized transparent sleeve while group I correspondingly adopted unprotective classical endotracheal intubation. Endotracheal swab sampling and bacterial counting were performed on the principle of aseptic processing before endotracheal intubation and extubation, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Bacteria were found in 62 of 180 samples. The difference of bacterial counting between before extubation and before intubation was (-0.3 +/- 35.6) 100 CFU/ ml in group II, lower than that in group I, which was (21.4 +/- 56.7) 100 CFU/ml (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Endotracheal bacterial contamination may be caused by unprotective classical endotracheal intubation and could be reduced by protective endotracheal intubation.</p>