Assessment of Endotracheal Tube Cuff Pressure Changes in Long-Duration Surgeries Under General Anesthesia in a Karachi Tertiary Care Setting
1Muhammad Athif Akram, 2Dr Aftab Ahmed, 3Dr Iftekhar Shah, 4Dr Kashif Zia, 5Dr Shakir Ahmed, 6Dr Asifa Qasim
Submission: 30 January 2026 | Acceptance: 28 February 2026 | Publication: 26 March 2026,
1Associate Professor Abu Umara Medical and Dental College Lahore /Ali Fatima Hospital
2Associate Professor Department of Anesthesia, NICVD Karachi
3Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesia, SICVD Hyderabad
4Assistant Professor Department of Cardiac Surgery, SICVD Larkana
5Anesthesia Consultant, Madinah Cardiac center
6Anesthesia FCPS part 2 trainee Resident, Department of Anesthesia
NICVD Karachi
ABSTRACT:
Background: Endotracheal tube inserted into the trachea to maintain an open airway and to administer anesthetic gases. Endotracheal tube cuff pressure has a lot of significance concerning airway management.
Objectives: To determine the variation of endotracheal tube cuff pressure in prolong surgery perform under general anesthesia at tertiary care hospital of Karachi.
Setting: Department of Anesthesiology, NICVD, Karachi
Duration: Six months after the approval from April 28 2022 to Oct 28 2022.
Design: Quasi Experiential (Pre and Post)
Subject and Methods: Study will start after approval from institute and CPSP, with all patients enrolled from Operation Theater of NICVD Karachi. Risk and benefits explained to patient, complete demographic and clinical details taken, induction and maintenance of general anesthesia, measurement of endotracheal tube cuff pressure, and other relevant findings.
Results: The mean age of the patients was27.3 ± 3.3, mean height was1.7+ 0.1m, mean weight was83.6+13.87kg, mean BMI was29.3 ± 9.3 and mean duration of disease was 4.5+ 3 months. Out of 150 patients, 85 (56.6%) were male and 65 (44.4%) were female. The baseline cuff pressure variation was 24.12±3.2, at 1 hour it was 24.1±3.1, at 2nd hour, it was 23.01±3.8 and at the end of surgery before extubating it was 16.5±4.4, significant difference was observed as p-value = 0.000.
Conclusion: Our study finds significant variation of endotracheal tube cuff pressure in prolong surgery perform under general anesthesia.
Keywords: Endotracheal Tube, Cuff pressure, Intubation, prolonged surgery.