OBJECTIVE The present prospective randomized trial compared surgical tracheostomy (ST) and percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients in terms of outcomes and complications. METHODS Between January 2003 and December 2005 tracheostomies were performed on critically ill ICU patients in Medical Faculty Hospital in Prague, with a random allocation of 105 pa...

BACKGROUND Balloon dilatational tracheostomy using the Ciaglia Blue Dolphin device has recently been introduced as a modification of the Ciaglia technique. The aim of this study was to compare the new Dolphin system with the single-step dilatational tracheostomy (Ciaglia Blue Rhino) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. METHODS Consecutive patients admitted to the ICU of the Emergency Depart...

Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) has become an appropriate alternative to conventional surgical tracheostomy. It is now performed worldwide by a diverse array of physician specialists. Although adverse events are relatively uncommon, serious complications can arise from this bedside procedure. We report a patient who suffered life-threatening hemorrhage from a common carotid artery ...

INTRODUCTION Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) is one of the most frequent procedures performed in the intensive care unit (ICU). PDT may add potential benefit to clinical management of critically ill patients. Despite this, no clinical guidelines are available. We sought to characterize current practice in this international survey. METHODS An international survey, endorsed and pe...

As the number of critically ill patients requiring tracheotomy for prolonged ventilation has increased, the demand for a procedural alternative to the surgical tracheostomy (ST) has also emerged. Since its introduction, percutaneous dilatational tracheostomies (PDT) have gained increasing popularity. The most commonly cited advantages are the ease of the familiar technique and the ability to pe...

Objective: To describe an improved technique for dilatational tracheostomy. Clinical case: We report a case of severe community-acquired polysegmental viral pneumonia, grade 2 respiratory failure. After the start antiviral therapy and staged support, female patient was placed on mechanical ventilation 12 hours following hospital admission due to increasing systemic inflammatory response cytokin...