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 ...

Methods Retrospective cohort analysis of prospective collected data at a tertiary neuroscience centre. All the patients requiring tracheostomy in our Intensive Care Department from October 2012 to March 2015 were included. The patients were allocated in 2 different units according to the reason for admission (Neurocritical Care Unit and General Intensive Care Unit). Tracheostomy weaning was per...

OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of timing and techniques of tracheostomy on morbidity, mortality, and the burden of resources in patients with acute traumatic spinal cord injuries (SCls) undergoing mechanical ventilation. DESIGN Review of a prospectively collected database. SETTING Intensive and intermediate care units of a monographic hospital for the treatment of SCI. PARTICIPANTS Consec...

Tracheostomy is a common procedure performed in critically ill patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure and for airway issues. The ideal timing (early vs late) and techniques (percutaneous dilatational, other new percutaneous techniques, open surgical) for tracheostomy have been topics of considerable debate. In this review, we address general issues reg...

In the last few years numerous reports from intensive care units confirm that a nonsurgical percutaneous tracheostomy has successfully replaced elective conventional (surgical) tracheostomy. The majority of authors point out the advantages over surgical technique such as: the speed of procedure, the possibility of doing it at bedside thus excluding transport and the need for operating theatre, ...

Percutaneous tracheostomy is a routine procedure in intensive care units. In cases of very low position of the larynx, cervical spine deformation, morbid obesity, or neck tumor, performance of the classic tracheostomy is inapplicable. Retrosternal approach to tracheostomy in such 20 patients is herein reported. After preoperative neck computerized tomography to define the neck anatomy, a small ...

OBJECTIVE To compare percutaneous with surgical tracheostomy using a meta-analysis of studies published from 1960 to 1996. DATA SOURCES Publications obtained through a MEDLINE database search with a Boolean combination (tracheostomy or tracheotomy) and complications, with constraints for human studies and English language. STUDY SELECTION Publications addressing all peri- and postoperative ...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous tracheostomy by means of single-step dilation with fiber optic bronchoscopy assistance in critical care patients under mechanical ventilation. METHODS Between the years 2004 and 2014, 512 patients with indication of tracheostomy according to clinical criteria, were prospectively and consecutively included in our study. One-third of...