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Table 1 Literature selection criteria

From: The value of polyurethane-cuffed endotracheal tubes to reduce microaspiration and intubation-related pneumonia: a systematic review of laboratory and clinical studies

Inclusion criteria

 • Experimental and clinical studies

 • Intervention arm with high-volume, low-pressure (HVLP) polyurethane (PU)-cuffed endotracheal tube

 • Control group with HVLP conventional polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-cuffed endotracheal tube

 • Studies evaluating either fluid leakage or intubation-related respiratory infection (early-postoperative pneumonia, ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis, ventilator-associated pneumonia)

 • Article written in English or Dutch

Exclusion criteria

 • Descriptive studies

 • Studies without a control group

 • Evidence of confounders in one of the study arms, such as the use of additional measures to reduce the risk of microaspiration (e.g., subglottic secretions drainage, taper-shaped cuff, gel lubrication of the cuff, positive end-expiratory pressure) or use of measures to prevent pneumonia (e.g., hand hygiene promotion, head-of-bed elevation) in only one of the study arms. Differences in cuff shape other than conical (taper-shaped) were not considered an exclusion criterion. As such, comparisons of cylindrical PU cuff vs. globular PVC cuffs were accepted.

 • Not original research (reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analysis, editorials, letters)

 • No full text available