In our unit we are not cutting the tube but we did  not do any study to check which is better to cut it or to leave it .

Please respond to the poll and share your practise.

Found this discussion on Researchgate! Did not know they also had a forum there. Lots of good comments.

I was taught during my training that reducing dead space is the reason for vittring tubes. But as pointed out, the volume of the cut tub piece is so small that it would have no practical significance, even for an ELBW infant.

But I still do it, it is in my ”auto-pilot”...

https://www.researchgate.net/post/Will_it_be_better_to_cut_the_ET_tube_a_few_centimeters_after_tube_is_in_place_and_then_place_the_connector

I´ve learned to cut in order to "optimize" VTV-mode so that the ventilator can read correctly and adjust to the Vt I want. I´m not sure though if it really matters...

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ppul.20954

Very interesting issue ...I have point of view would like to share with you..if the cause is decreasing dead space and ensure that the setting of ventilation and oxgyenation  achieved in baby more efficiently we can monitor the screen of mean values in mechanical ventilation device whatever the type ...observing the actual pip ..TV .. reaching infant lung and if less than setting value we can increase safely because we know how much exactly achieved in infants lung ... Best regards for all 

Another interesting post.
Does the risk of minimising dead space and tube occlusion by kinking (if and when left unsupported) significantly outweigh risks of unplanned extubation, breach product warranty and its consequences?


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We used to cut the tube several years ago.

We stopped cutting because we saw minimal or no effect.

Besides that, we had problems with fixation, especially when the tube had to be repositioned

We used to cut and stop because the repositioned problems. Never cut in HFO. 

Currently we never cut the ETT, as per the new ventilator technology will enable us to read all necessary parameters required to monitor our ventilation settings and the baby adaptation to MV.