| All intubated adults and children managed in an intensive care unit require endotracheal suctioning in order to maintain a patent airway. |
| The review uncovered a wide range of research relating to the practice of suctioning adults with an artificial airway. |
| Normal saline instillation prior to endotracheal suctioning has been practised widely for over two decades in intensive care units. |
| A useful alternative to tracheal suctioning is the intervention provided by mechanical exsufflation. |
| A recent survey of nurses and respiratory therapists indicated that just over half of respondents suctioned patients' mouths after each episode of endotracheal suctioning. |
| After suctioning, a posteroinferior perforation and granular changes of the anteroinferior aspect of the tympanic membrane were visible. |
