Tracheal Suctioning and Expiratory Pause in Bronchial Hygiene

A randomized crossover clinical trial conducted in an Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA) to compare the efficacy of the two techniques on the amount of aspirated pulmonary secretion and pulmonary mechanics: aspiration of the closed system following an expiratory pause with mechanical ventilator for 5 seconds (5-Second Expiratory Pause) and aspiration of the closed system following an expiratory pause with mechanical ventilator for 10 seconds (10-Second Expiratory Pause).