Overview

Airway management and protection

Our intubation product portfolio offers a full range of sizes from adult to pediatric. These products are quality tested for reliability. The products can be segmented into four key areas:

  • basic and specialty solutions for the OR
  • subglottic suction endotracheal tubes for the ICU and Critical Care
  • enhanced direct laryngoscopes 
  • airway management accessories

 

McGRATH MAC™ Video Laryngoscope and Shiley™ Airway Management Products Brochure

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TaperGuard™ cuff technology

The low-impact, low-pressure endotracheal tube

Friction or pressure between the tracheal cuff and the trachea’s sensitive mucosa can lead to irritation, ischemia and tracheal trauma.([FOOTNOTE=Liu J, Zhang X, Gong W. Correlations between controlled endotracheal tube cuff pressure and postprocedural complications: a multicenter study. Anesth Analg. 2010;111(5):1133–7.],[ANCHOR=],[LINK=]),([FOOTNOTE=Seegobin RD, van Hasselt GL. Endotracheal cuff pressure and tracheal mucosal blood flow: endoscopic study of effects of four large volume cuffs. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1984;288(6422):965–968.],[ANCHOR=],[LINK=])

Endotracheal tubes with TaperGuard™ cuff technology have features that may help reduce the tracheal impact of intubation with a unique, taper-shaped cuff design that provides a smaller area of contact with the patient’s airway than traditional barrel-shaped cuffs.2

Unique TaperGuard cuff design:

  • Exerts 29% less pressure on the trachea([FOOTNOTE=Lichtenthal PR, Wood L, Wong A, Borg U. Pressure applied to tracheal wall by barrel and taper shaped cuffs. Proc Am Soc Anesth Annual Meeting. 2011:A1054.],[ANCHOR=View Abstract],[LINK=/content/mitg/websites/languagemasters/na/en-us/support/clinical-evidence.html?id=805252])
  • Reduces intracuff pressure required to obtain an adequate seal compared to Mallinckrodt™ Hi-Lo cuffs([FOOTNOTE=Tsuboi S, Miyashita T, Yamaguchi Y, et al.. The TaperGuard endotracheal tube intracuff pressure increase is less than that of the Hi-Lo tube during nitrous oxide exposure: a model trachea study. Anesth Analg. 2013;116: 609–612.],[ANCHOR=],[LINK=])
  • Provides more uniform pressure distribution than Mallinckrodt Hi-Lo cuffs at equivalent intracuff pressures([FOOTNOTE=Lichtenthal PR, Wood L, Wong A, Borg U. Pressure applied to tracheal wall by barrel and taper shaped cuffs. Proc Am Soc Anesth. 2011: A1054.]],[ANCHOR=],[LINK=])
  • Reduces microaspiration by as much as 90% compared to Mallinckrodt™ Hi-Lo cuffs([FOOTNOTE=Lichtenthal PR, Maul D, Borg U. Do tracheal tubes prevent microaspiration? Br J Anaesth. 2011;107(5):821-822.],[ANCHOR=],[LINK=])

TaperGuard™ cuff technology, featured on Shiley™ endotracheal tubes, is designed to maximize comfort and safety for patients.