Characterization of Patients with Percutaneous Dilatation Tracheostomy

Abstract

Introduction: Tracheostomy is one of the surgical techniques performed to treat or alleviate airway obstruction. Percutaneous dilatation tracheostomy is an easy procedure to perform. This technique is more effective and less expensive than surgical tracheostomy. Objective: To characterize patients with percutaneous dilatation tracheostomy. Methods: An observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted in the Intensive Care Unit of the Dr. Miguel Enríquez Clinical and Surgical Teaching Hospital in Havana, Cuba, from January 1, 2018, to September 30, 2021. The study population consisted of 67 patients. The variables studied were age, sex, diagnosis upon admission to the Intensive Care Unit, and complications. Results: The 41- to 60-year-old age group predominated, at 47.8 %; p=0.00. Trauma was present in 29.8 % of patients, followed by hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disease in 20.8 %. Subcutaneous emphysema and tracheal stenosis were present in 2.98 % of patients. Conclusions: The patients who underwent percutaneous dilatation tracheostomy in this study were men between their fifth and seventh decades of life admitted to the Intensive Care Unit for traumatic injuries. They did not present significant secondary complications, being the subcutaneous emphysema the most common.