Problems Related to Endotracheal Intubation as an Input for the Design of a New Endotracheal Tube

Objective: The purpose of the current review is to identify the main problems of endotracheal intubation, which will serve as a basis for the design requirements for a novel endotracheal tube.

Methodology: A PICO systematic search was conducted in PubMed up to December 2021 to identify issues related both to the endotracheal intubation procedure and device-specific factors.

Results: Two primary categories of problems were identified during endotracheal intubation: a) Issues related to laryngotracheal symptoms such as cough, hoarseness, aphonia, dysphonia, dysphagia, swallowing difficulties and the risk of stenosis with long-term intubation. The underlying pressure, abrasion and/or decubitus phenomena should be considered in a new design approach. b) Issues related to the cuff sealing and microaspirations, where the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) highlights the need to improve the design.

Discussion & conclusion: This review has yielded valuable input for rethinking the design of endotracheal tubes to ensure an efficient and safe airway. This new design should focus on the protection of anatomical structures, avoid or reduce the phenomena of laryngotracheal symptoms, and even reduce the risk of ventilator-associated-pneumonia (VAP) and/or prevent the need for certain tracheostomies.