The Threat in Our Endotracheal Tubes: Phthalates

PHTHALATESprolonged use (8,9).Though the levels of phthalates liberated intraoperatively tend to be lower, longer stays especially in intensive care unit (ICU) settings pose a higher risk for exposure.Latini et al. claimed that there has been a change in color in the ETT in the case of a high-risk neonate (10).Furthermore, Morton et al. demonstrated phthalate release from the ETT to water in a laboratory study (8).In another study, a meaningful correlation between DEHP metabolites in the blood and ventilation devices including noninvasive ventilation (11).We think that the patients are exposed to clinically significant levels of DEHP through the use of medical devices and supplies.Likewise, the fact that such equipment carry a CE stamp further concerns us.We finally would like to delineate that the medical devices and supplies must be manufactured without phthalates for safety reasons.Unfortunately, we were only able to sample one case.There is still a need for publications on this topic.