This is a descriptive analytic study which aimed to describe the morphologic alterations of the trachea in intubated patients with cannulas of high-residual volume and low-pressure cuff, maintained on mechanical ventilation with lower pressure inside the "cuff" than the tracheal capillary pressure (20-30 mmHg) in function of intubation time. The study population consisted of 23 adult patients admitted at an Intensive Care Unit, who were intubated for periods ranging from 27 to 317 hours and died, needing necropsy to identify the cause of deaths. The observed alterations were limited to the tracheal mucous membrane, affecting only the epithelium tissue and the lamina propria. Intubation time was a determinant factor to aggravate tracheal wall injuries.
intratracheal intubation; complications; air pressure
