MedPath

"Cuffed Versus Uncuffed Tracheal Tubes in Small Children"

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Need for Tracheal Tube Exchange
Presence of Post-extubation Laryngeal Oedema
Registration Number
NCT00221377
Lead Sponsor
University Children's Hospital, Zurich
Brief Summary

This randomized controlled multi-centre trial in children from birth up to \< 5 years of age aims to demonstrate equivalence as to the major outcome of post-extubation airway injury (stridor) comparing uncuffed tracheal tubes to current tracheal tubes with modern high volume - low pressure cuff combined with a cuff pressure release valve.

Detailed Description

The use of cuffed tracheal tubes is a controversial topic in paediatric anaesthesia and intensive care medicine. Cuffed tubes have traditionally been recommended for children older than 8 to 10 years. During the past decade, however, several authors have argued for the use of cuffed tracheal tubes in younger children and infants. A frequently cited argument against their use is the fear from post-extubation morbidity, allegedly caused by cuff induced tracheal and laryngeal airway injury. Using modern improved designed cuffed tracheal tubes, data from randomised prospective studies, performed in paediatric anaesthesia and intensive care units, suggest that using cuffed tracheal tubes do not carry an increased risk for airway morbidity as compared to uncuffed tracheal tubes in children below 8 years of age if correctly used. However, all these studies are based on single-centre experiences and/or included only a few neonates, infants and small children. Hence, there is equipoise as to the question, whether cuffed tubes are preferable over uncuffed standard tubes.

So, this randomized controlled multi-centre trial in children from birth up to \< 5 years of age aims to demonstrate equivalence as to the major outcome of post-extubation airway injury (stridor) comparing uncuffed tracheal tubes to current tracheal tubes with modern high volume - low pressure cuff combined with a cuff pressure release valve.

The primary hypothesis relates to the main outcome criteria of this study, which is post-extubation morbidity as measured by the presence or absence of stridor after tracheal extubation. The null-hypothesis Ho is defined as no difference in the incidence rates of post-extubation morbidity between cuffed and uncuffed groups. The null-hypothesis (Ho: u-Diff = 0) will be compared with the alternative hypothesis (H1: u-Diff \<\> 0). The study is designed to detect a clinically unacceptable deterioration of 1.5% above the baseline airway-injury rate of 2.5% when using uncuffed tubes with a power of 90% and a type I error probability of less than 5%.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
4000
Inclusion Criteria
  • Children aged from birth (weighing > 3 kg) to <5 years
  • Children requiring oro-tracheal or naso-tracheal intubation with a Magil shaped tracheal tube or preformed (RAE) tracheal tube as a part of their anaesthetic care and planed IPPV during the surgical / interventional / diagnostic procedure
  • Tracheal intubation performed using direct laryngoscopy
  • Extubation after the procedure in the OR theatre
  • Procedure performed in supine position
  • Patients for elective and emergency surgery and/or interventions if there is no risk for regurgitation or pulmonary aspiration
  • ASA I and II patients
  • Written parental consent
Exclusion Criteria
  • No parental written consent obtained
  • Known airway anomalies (airway stenosis, including Down's Syndrome)
  • Known or suspected difficult intubation
  • Known need for abnormal tube size
  • Full stomach and/or at risk for regurgitation
  • Surgery of the larynx and/or of the trachea and/or neck and/or upper oesophagus
  • Pulmonary diseases (concurrent pneumonia or bronchial infection, asthma requiring inhalation medication, pulmonary malformations)
  • ASA class III and higher
  • Fiberoptic intubation or alternative intubation technique
  • Patients planned for postoperative ventilation in the ICU
  • Weight and/or height percentiles < 3% / > 97%

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
post-extubation stridor (airway stenosis)
Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod

Trial Locations

Locations (24)

Anaesthesia - Chelsa and Westminster NHS Trust

🇬🇧

London, United Kingdom

Klinik für Anaesthesie, LMU München - Dr. U. Haunersches Kinderspital

🇩🇪

München, Germany

Dept. of Anaesthesia - Kinderkrankenhaus auf der Bult

🇩🇪

Hannover, Germany

Anaesthesia - Klinik St. Hedwig

🇩🇪

Regensburg, Germany

Dept. of Anaesthesia Kliniken Loerrach

🇩🇪

Loerrach, Germany

Anaesthesia and Intensive Care - University Hospital Mannheim

🇩🇪

Mannheim, Germany

Anaesthetics - Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital

🇬🇧

Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Dep. Anesthesiology and Intensive Care - Helios Klinikum Berlin-Buch

🇩🇪

Berlin, Germany

Anaesthetic Department - Royal Hospital for Sick Children

🇬🇧

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Anaesthetic Department - Ledds General Infirmary

🇬🇧

Leeds, United Kingdom

Clinic of Anesthesiology - Charite-Universitätsmedizin

🇩🇪

Berlin, Germany

Klinik für Anasthesiologie und Operative Intensivmedizin - Klinikum Augsburg

🇩🇪

Augsburg, Germany

Dept. of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care - Astrid Lindgrens Children's Hospital

🇸🇪

Stockholm, Sweden

Anästhesie - Ostschweizer Kinderspital

🇨🇭

St. Gallen, Switzerland

University Children's Hospital

🇨🇭

Zurich, ZH, Switzerland

Klinik für Anästhesiologie - Inselspital

🇨🇭

Bern, Switzerland

Departement of Anaesthesia - Cliniques Universitaire St. Luc

🇧🇪

Brussels, Belgium

Dept. of Anaesthesia and Reanimation - University Hospital Motol

🇨🇿

Prague, Czech Republic

Children's University Hospital - Dept. of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care

🇸🇰

Bratislava, Slovakia

Dept. of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care - Faculty Hospital of Luis Pasteur

🇸🇰

Kosice, Slovakia

Klinik für Anästhesie und Op. Intensivmedizin

🇨🇭

Aarau, Switzerland

Dept. of Anaesthesia, Geneva Children's Hospital

🇨🇭

Geneva, Switzerland

Anesthesia And Critical Care Medicine - Medical University

🇦🇹

Innsbruck, Austria

Service d'Anesthesiologie - CHUV

🇨🇭

Lausanne, Switzerland

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath