Patients in ICUs frequently require tracheostomy for long-term ventilator support, and the percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) method is preferred over surgical tracheostomy. The use of ultrasound (US) imaging to guide ICU procedures and interventions has recently emerged as a simple and noninvasive tool. The current evidence regarding the applications of US in PDT is encouraging; howe...

percutaneous dilatation tracheostomy (pdt) is one of the most frequent interventions in ventilator dependant icu patients. ciaglia and griggs are two common pdt techniques. few studies are available comparing these two methods, but there is no data available to compare these two techniques in iranian population. the aim of this study was to compare ciaglia and griggs technique in our population...

Objectives: This article describes how to make a customized tracheostomy tube immediately in the operating room setting. This is particularly critical when a commercial customized tracheostomy tube cannot be readily obtained. Study Design: Case presentation. Methods/Results: A 73-year-old female was seen in our clinic for management of a recurrent invasive paraganglioma of the thyroid. She unde...

INTRODUCTION Readiness to speak is a major problem for many tracheostomized patients. Evaluation for tracheostomy tube capping or speaking valve is often subjective. OBJECTIVES We first wanted to assess whether there were differences among speaking valves. We developed a care pathway for tracheostomy tube evaluation and management including manometry, which we wanted to evaluate. METHODS Th...

OBJECTIVE To examine whether the implementation of a multidisciplinary percutaneous tracheostomy team decreases complications, improves efficiency in patient care, and reduces length of stay and cost in patients undergoing percutaneous tracheostomy. STUDY DESIGN Case series with planned data collection. SETTING Urban, academic, tertiary care medical center. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Patients w...

OBJECTIVE The incidence of tracheoarterial fistula (TAF) in patients with short-term tracheostomy tubes has been reported between 0.6% and 0.7%. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of TAF in patients with long-term tracheostomy tubes used for the management of chronic respiratory failure. SETTING Long-term ventilator facility. DESIGN Retrospective. METHODS Medical rec...

BACKGROUND Bedside percutaneous dilational tracheostomy, a relatively new method of tracheal cannulation, provides safe and ready access to the trachea to relieve airway obstruction and tracheopulmonary secretions. The dilational technique has undergone various modifications during the past decade. Complications of this procedure are primarily related to the lack of direct visualization during ...

Introduction Tracheostomy is a generally accepted procedure that assures free access to the airways in long-term lung ventilation. Apart from surgical tracheostomy, percutaneous dilational tracheostomy (PDT) has been increasingly employed in intensive care units (ICU). There is no optimal tracheostomy (TS) technique and in comparisons of percutaneous techniques, no single technique has proved t...

BACKGROUND Upper respiratory tract obstruction resulting from bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve damage is commonly managed with permanent tracheostomy in our environment. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the social impacts of permanent tracheostomy and its management in Ondo State, Southwest Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS Four patients were managed with permanent tracheostomy due to bilateral laryng...

BACKGROUND Accidental decannulation is a cause of substantial morbidity and mortality in patients in long-term acute care hospitals who require a tracheostomy tube. OBJECTIVE To analyze features of accidental decannulation (AD) following placement of a tracheostomy tube, and to implement strategies to reduce the problem. METHODS An analysis of data collected prospectively for quality manage...