Single-Use Versus Multiple-Use Endotracheal Suction Catheters in Mechanically Ventilated Patients: A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial.
Mohamed H Eid, Kevin Hambridge, Patricia Schofield and 1 others
PMID 41501433WHAT IT FOUND
In 58 mechanically ventilated ICU patients, single-use suction catheters and chlorhexidine-flushed reused catheters were feasible, with no adverse events.
This pilot cannot show whether these catheter strategies reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia compared with standard saline flushing.
Key findings
01The suction catheter strategies were delivered as planned to every participant, and no adverse events were reported.
02Ventilator-associated pneumonia rates were 31.6%, 26.3%, and 40% across the groups, but the study did not test these differences because it was a feasibility trial.
03Sealed-envelope randomisation was practical, and 96.7% of participants completed 3-day follow-up, supporting a future definitive trial.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Small feasibility sample (58 analysed), not powered to show clinical benefit. Single hospital in Egypt, so generalisability is limited. No blinding because solutions differed in bottle shape and colour. The principal investigator collected outcome measures, which could introduce bias. Some patients had suctioning before enrolment, making the exclusion criterion hard to apply. Deferred verbal consent was used, and two families withdrew participants. VAP was assessed with the Modified Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score, not bronchoalveolar lavage culture. Catheter size and connector type varied. Resource constraints meant extra supplies were purchased.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Funding came from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Egypt.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that either suction catheter strategy reduces ventilator-associated pneumonia. This was a feasibility trial, and the authors state that statistical analysis of VAP incidence was not measured because the primary aim was feasibility.