Endotracheal Tube Cuff Pressure Monitoring: A Review of the Evidence

Tracheal intubation constitutes a routine part of anaesthetic practice both in the operating theatre as well as in the care of critically ill patients. The procedure is estimated to be performed 13–20 million times annually in the United States alone. There has been a recent renewal of interest in the morbidity associated with endotracheal tube cuff overinflation, particularly regarding the rationale and requirement for endotracheal tube cuff monitoring intra-operatively.