Biofilm Formation on Different Endotracheal Tube Materials

Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a frequent and costly complication to mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients. Aspiration of oropharyngeal secretions and fragments of biofilm from the endotracheal tube are the main causes of VAP.

It is well known that biofilm is formed on medical devices and several initiatives to reduce the development of such biofilms have been taken. However it is still a large clinical problem and colleagues have performed studies to find out the structure of the biofilms formed on the ETT and to what extent microbiological findings correlate to images from EM.

In this study the investigators will compare microbiology and EM images in that same manner.

Three different ETTs will be examined. The investigators will be using each of the three ETTs for a period of time sufficient to retrieve samples from at least 20 ETTs of each kind.

Only one kind of ETT will be used during the specified time period, no randomization. The test will be performed in the order mentioned below A - B - C All of the three tubes are CE-marked (Conformité Européenne) and are available on the market.

ICU patients needing mechanical ventilation will be intubated with the three different devices with different surfaces characteristics.

The tubes are: A - standard Poly vinyl chloride (PVC) tube; B - PVC with a silicon coating; C - PVC with a special metal film coating

Inclusion criteria

• Patients needing invasive mechanical ventilation through an endotracheal tube

Exclusion criteria

• Anticipated need for mechanical ventilation less than 24 hours