Study to Compare the Effect of Two Different Types of Humidifier on the Endotracheal Tube Patency
Condition: Cancer of Head and Neck
MeSH terms: Head and Neck Neoplasms
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      60 post operative patients who are kept intubated overnight & are spontaneously breathing
      will be either supplied humidified oxygen Heated Humidifier(HH) or conventional mist
      nebulizer.

      Temperature of inspired gas at the Y piece will be measured.

      Sterile water will be used for HH & Mist nebuliser.

      The suctioning of endotracheal tube (ETT) will be done once every 2 hourly by nurse/
      doctor/trained personnel and additional suctioning if required.
    

Detailed description: 
      60 post operative patients who are kept intubated overnight & are spontaneously breathing
      will be selected in Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), Mumbai. 30 patients will be supplied
      through humidified oxygen using FISHER & PAYKEL MR 370 Heated Humidifier(HH) & 30 patients
      through conventional mist nebulizer.

      Temperature of inspired gas at the Y piece will be measured as surrogate marker for quality
      of humidification. Continuous monitoring of temperature will be done using standard monitor.

      The reusable HH will be subjected to disinfection between patients. Sterile water will be
      used for HH & Mist nebuliser.

      The suctioning of endotracheal tube (ETT) will be done once every 2 hourly by nurse/
      doctor/trained personnel.

      Based on patient's clinical condition , additional suctioning will be done. Frequency of
      additional suctioning , reason for suctioning will be noted.

      Information regarding the age, sex, type of surgery of the patient, co-morbidity if any size
      of ETT, the time of commencement of humidification , duration of use of humidifier, time of
      extubation, any complication leading to discontinuation of humidifier, frequency of refilling
      of nebulizer chamber, volume of ETT before intubation etc. will be noted.

      The amount of Endotracheal tube blockade caused by secretion will be measured immediately
      following extubation.

      The volume of Endotracheal tube secretion / amount of blockade will be assessed by the
      following process-

        -  The bevel end & Murphy's eye of the Endotracheal tube will be sealed using sterile
           insulating tape so that it become water tight. The tube will be gradually filled with
           measured amount of sterile fluid using small volume syringe to increase the accuracy of
           measurement. The amount of fluid it can hold will be measured & noted.

        -  The volume of extubated tube will be measured in the similar way.

        -  The measured volume of the Extubated Endotracheal tube will be subtracted from the
           actual volume of the particular Sized ETT ( measured before intubation).

        -  The result obtained after this subtraction will be the volume of secretion or the volume
           of ETT that has been blocked.
    

Intervention name(s): heated humidifier; mist humidifier
Intervention type(s): Device; Device
Intervention description(s): 30 patients requiring overnight intubation but breathing spontaneously without ventilatory support will be supplied humidified oxygen using Heated Humidifier(HH); 30 patients requiring overnight intubation but breathing spontaneously without ventilatory support will be supplied humidified oxygen using mist humidifier
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Supportive Care