Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy: mostly safe, but do benefits outweigh risks?

Link to article at PubMed

Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy: mostly safe, but do benefits outweigh risks?

Crit Care. 2014 Mar 11;18(2):117

Authors: Scales DC, Cuthbertson BH

Abstract
Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomies have become one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures in the ICU, and are believed to offer a variety of advantages over open tracheostomies, including increased convenience. Recent publications have established that the risk of fatal complications related to the procedure is low. However, clinicians must still weigh these risks against expected but largely unproven benefits. More research is needed to establish the indications for the procedure, including the optimal patient selection and timing during a course of mechanical ventilation. Such studies should also seek to improve our ability to accurately identify which patients will require prolonged mechanical ventilation, and to quantify the potential benefits of tracheostomy compared with prolonged translaryngeal intubation.

PMID: 25029438 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *