Subglottic secretion aspiration in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia: a review of the literature.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia is a common nosocomial infection that results in both negative patient outcomes and increased health care costs. Recently, many efforts have been targeted at ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention, including the practice of subglottic secretion aspiration. Six randomized control studies examining the effectiveness of subglottic secretion aspiration in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia were reviewed for this article. Results consistently show that subglottic secretion aspiration significantly reduces the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in a variety of patient populations. Despite these findings, this practice is limited in clinical settings. This clinical practice should be implemented in individuals requiring mechanical ventilation to reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia.