A tracheostomy tube decreases the ability of the patient to communicate effectively. The ability to speak provides an important improvement in the quality of life for a patient with a tracheostomy. In mechanically ventilated patients, speech can be provided by the use of a talking tracheostomy tube, using a cuff-down technique with a speaking valve, and using a cuff-down technique without a spe...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS To describe the reasons for hospitalization and characteristics of children with preexisting tracheostomy and to compare hospital utilization between children with and without tracheostomy. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. METHODS Children with tracheostomy were selected in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids' Inpatient Database 2009 using Internat...

Tracheostomy can lead to various complications, one of which is ectopic air in different compartments the body. Here, we present a rare case tracheostomy-induced air: combination subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum, and pneumoperitoneum. This also presents literature review on some common mechanisms responsible for pneumomediastinum following tracheostomy mechanism pneumoperitoneum pneumo...

OBJECTIVE To compare the safety, availability, and long-term sequelae of percutaneous vs. surgical tracheostomy. DESIGN Prospective, randomized, controlled study. SETTING Combined medical/surgical intensive care unit in a tertiary referral hospital. PATIENTS Two hundred critically ill mechanically ventilated patients who required tracheostomy. INTERVENTIONS Tracheostomy by either percut...

A number of complications can occur following both surgical tracheostomy (ST) and percutaneous tracheostomy (PT). A flexible new tracheostomy insertion technique with the advantages of both ST and PT is proposed to reduce these complications. Our blunt puncture and dilation technique (BPAD tracheostomy) appears to be technically safe and feasible to perform.

Objective: Incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia, caused by gram-negative multidrug resistant bacteria, is on the increase and early mortality rate high.
 We aimed to investigate effects aging, comorbidities, high Charlson comobidity index score, Acute Physiology Chronic Health Evaluation II leukocytosis, C-reactive protein level, inappropriate empirical antibiotic therapy resistanc...

Tracheostomy is a common procedure used by a wide variety of surgeons. Complications after tracheostomy have been used as a rationale for prolonging a translaryngeal intubation. Understanding the pathogenesis of tracheostomy complications combined with meticulous surgical and perioperative management avoids the majority of complications. The remaining complications are readily managed and shoul...

During a 6-month period from October 2000 to March 2001, we analysed the indications, methods, waiting period and complications following a tracheostomy at the General Intensive Care Unit (GIGU) of Hospital Kuala Lumpur. There were 49 tracheostomies performed during this period. Thirty of them were performed in the GICU using the percutaneous dilatational method while 19 were performed elective...