HUMIDIFICATION AND MUCUS FLOW IN THE INTUBATED TRACHEA

observatons of mucus flow in the trachea were made on greyhounds under barbiturate anaesthesia breathing air at 37°C, at various levels of relative humidity, through an endotracheal tube. The distance travelled by a marker, lycopodium powder, in the mucus was measured at 5-minute intervals throughs...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of anaesthesia : BJA 1973-08, Vol.45 (8), p.874-878
Main Author: FORBES, A.R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Carbon Dioxide - analysis
Dogs
Humidity
Intubation, Intratracheal
Mucus - metabolism
Oxygen - analysis
Partial Pressure
Powders
Temperature
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Summary:observatons of mucus flow in the trachea were made on greyhounds under barbiturate anaesthesia breathing air at 37°C, at various levels of relative humidity, through an endotracheal tube. The distance travelled by a marker, lycopodium powder, in the mucus was measured at 5-minute intervals throughs a right-angled telescope passed doen the endotracheal tube. Mucus flow at an inspired relative humidity of 100% was comparable to publiched values. No diffrence between flows at inspired relatives humidities of 100% adn 75% was found. A significant reduction in flows at 50% and 25% relatives humidity was found, followed by cessation of flow in 5 of the 7 dogs at 50% relatives humidity, and in all 7 at 25%. This would suggest that gas introduced at the top of an endotracheal tube at 37°C should have a relative humidity of over 50%, and perferably 75%, to maintain tracheal mucus flow. This would correspond to 100% relative humidity at 32°C but it remain to be seen within what temperature rage mucus flow is maintained.
ISSN:0007-0912
1471-6771
DOI:10.1093/bja/45.8.874