title: The role of early tracheotomy in the management of the neurosurgical patient.
abstract: Neurosurgical patients often require prolonged laryngeal intubation. The literature regarding the management of these patients is controversial, with some series reporting increased benefits of early tracheotomy and others reporting similar benefits of prolonged transtracheal intubation. One hundred sixteen consecutive neurosurgical patients who had tracheotomies performed during a 5-year period are presented in order to clarify some of the factors involved with these issues. The complications that occurred in this series were less frequent than those reported in most of the published series. Of the 116 patients, 7 had posttracheotomy complications. These complications included stomal infections (4 patients), hemorrhage (1 patient), subglottic granulation tissue (1 patient), and tracheitis (1 patient). All complications were easily treated and caused no significant long-term morbidity. Furthermore, pulmonary care was universally facilitated by the placement of a tracheotomy. The performance of an early postinjury tracheotomy may prevent the known complications of prolonged endotracheal intubation while providing effective ventilation and pulmonary toilet through safe and comfortable access to the airway. Early postinjury tracheotomy is not associated with a high incidence of significant complications in the neurosurgical patient population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Louisiana State University, Shreveport.
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Benzel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001424:Bacterial Infections; D002481:Cellulitis / Q000209:etiology; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000601:surgery*; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008145:Louisiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000382:microbiology; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000209:etiology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D014140:Tracheotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome