Tube size showdown: could smaller breathing tubes improve recovery?
NCT ID NCT06939361
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at whether using a smaller breathing tube during emergency intubation helps critically ill adults breathe easier and have better voice and swallowing six months later. About 3,180 patients in emergency rooms and intensive care units will be randomly assigned to get either a smaller or larger tube. The goal is to find out which size leads to less breathlessness and fewer long-term side effects.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could show that using a smaller breathing tube reduces long-term breathlessness and voice problems after emergency intubation.
- What could go wrong
- This is a pragmatic trial comparing tube sizes, not a new drug or device. The results may show no clear benefit or could be influenced by other factors in critical care.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27157, United States
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Denver Health Medical Center
Denver, Colorado, 80204, United States
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Hennepin County Medical Center
Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55415, United States
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University of Alabama Hospital
Birmingham, Alabama, 35233, United States
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University of Colorado-Denver
Denver, Colorado, 80045, United States
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University of Washington Medical Center
Seattle, Washington, 98104, United States
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Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, Tennessee, 37232, United States
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