According to this study:

* Silver-coated endotracheal tubes significantly reduce the risk of VAP and even delay its occurrence.

Use of a silver-coated endotracheal tube in patients who require mechanical ventilation resulted in a significantly reduced risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in a prospective, single-blind North American study. A total of 1,932 patients requiring mechanical ventilation for at least 24 hours were randomly assigned to intubation with a silver-coated endotracheal tube (silver is thought to have antimicrobial properties) or a standard endotracheal tube. The incidence of microbiologically confirmed VAP (through results of quantitative bronchoalveolar lavage fluid culture) in patients intubated for at least 24 hours was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included mortality, time to VAP occurrence, and duration of endotracheal intubation, ICU stay, and hospital stay.

In patients intubated for at least 24 hours and in all intubated patients, those with silver-coated endotracheal tubes had relative risk reductions in microbiologically confirmed VAP of 35.9% and 34.2%, respectively, compared with those using standard tubes. The greatest effect from the silver-coated tubes occurred within 10 days of intubation, the median duration of intubation. Additionally, silver-coated endotracheal tubes were associated with a significant delay in VAP occurrence compared with standard endotracheal tubes. Significant differences between groups were not seen in the other secondary outcomes.

JC