Endotracheal Tube Cleaning Devices: A Means But Not a Solution.

The article argues that endotracheal tube (ETT) cleaning devices are a means to remove ETT occlusions and reduce inner-lumen biofilm colonization, but not a solution to improve patient outcomes such as ventilation days and rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia. It discusses findings of a randomized controlled trial on the effect of ETT scraping on the duration of mechanical ventilation, time to first spontaneous breathing trial, hospital stay and occurrence of ventilator-associated events.