Tracheostomy is a common procedure in ICU, particularly as an approach for weaning from mechanical ventilation. In mid-1980s percutaneous tracheostomy (PCT) was introduced as a less invasive alternative for the standard surgical tracheostomy. A tracheostomy facilitates weaning from mechanical ventilation, in long-term ventilated patients, by improving airway cleaning, better patient comfort and...

Objective: Since its inception, the use of the percutaneous dilational tracheostomy (PDT) has been contraindicated in the setting of an emergent airway. Emerging in the literature are several cases of successful emergent PDTs. Here we present our experience with the use of PDT in managing emergent airways. Study Design: All patients who underwent emergent PDT, using the Ciaglia Blue Rhino Intro...

OBJECTIVE The potential difficulty in doing initial dilation in the percutaneous dilational tracheostomy (PDT) with the Ciaglia Blue Rhino (CBR) technique has been reported by others and encountered in our clinical practice. To resolve this problem, we developed a modified CBR technique by using a guidewire dilating forceps (GWDF) to facilitate initial dilation. The present before-and-after com...

BACKGROUND AND METHODS Tracheostomy is a common procedure in intensive care patient management. The aim of this study was to capture the practice of tracheostomy in Intensive Care Units in the United Kingdom. A postal survey was sent to the lead clinicians of 228 general intensive care units (ICUs) throughout the United Kingdom excluding specialist units. We aimed to identify the current practi...

STUDY OBJECTIVES To evaluate the feasibility of uninterrupted translaryngeal open ventilation delivered through a pediatric, uncuffed endotracheal tube during percutaneous endoscopic tracheostomy (PET). DESIGN AND SETTING Prospective, observational clinical study in a six-bed ICU of a university hospital. PATIENTS Forty consecutive adult patients requiring an elective tracheostomy. INTERV...

Dear Editor, We read with interest the recent article of Yavas on the tracheostomy in the intensive care unit.1 The authors treated 205 patients needing tracheostomy, 65.4% with surgical tracheostomy (ST) and 34.6% with percutaneous tracheostomy (PT). The authors, while performing PT, used two procedures: the Ciaglia percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy technique using multiple dilators and t...

BACKGROUND Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) is the standard airway access in critically ill patients who require prolonged mechanical ventilation. However, the literature lacks reports about the effectiveness and safety of this procedure in thoracic organ transplant recipients, who have increased risks of bleeding and infection. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the records of s...

Tracheotomy is a commonly performed procedure. The Belgian Society of Pneumology (BVP-SBP) and the Belgian Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery (BACTS) developed guidelines on tracheotomy for mechanical ventilation in adults. The levels of evidence as developed by the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) were used. The members of the guideline committee reviewed peer-reviewed publicati...

provided the original work is properly cited. CC Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) is fast becoming the method of choice for securing an airway in chronic ventilated patients in intensive care units worldwide. It has been advocated as a safe and efficient bedside alternative for open surgical tracheostomy [1,2]. Most of the complications reported with different PDT techniques are mil...