Aims: Endotracheal intubation is a process that typically done in intensive care unit and emergency rooms by physicians, nurses and health care personnel. Because several factors such as positive pressure ventilation, duration of intubation, temperature and body movements can cause the cuff pressure changes, this study was done to evaluate the relationship between temperature and cuff pressure of endotracheal tube.

Methods: This single-group correlation study was performed in the middle 6 months of 2011 in intensive care units and emergency departments’ patients of local hospitals of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences and 70 patients with an endotracheal tube or tracheostomy (with cuff) connected to mechanical ventilation were enrolled. Inventory data collected from the endotracheal tube cuff pressure and temperature were recorded. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS 11.5 software using Pearson and Spearman correlation, general linear model coefficients, Kruskal Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests.

Results: Endotracheal cuff pressure was abnormal in 80% of cases. There was a positive significant difference between endotracheal tube cuff pressure which was measured at 10 different times and the temperature change (p=0.001). No interactive effects were observed in every 10 measurements, between temperature and inspiratory oxygen percentage and endotracheal cuff pressure (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Endotracheal tube cuff pressure of most patients is outside the standard range. The temperature affects the endotracheal tube cuff pressure.