title: Early experience with percutaneous tracheotomy.
abstract: Early reports of a percutaneous dilatational technique for tracheotomy tube placement have been encouraging. This method uses a needle for placement into the trachea, a J-tipped guidewire, and progressively larger dilators to widen the stoma for insertion of a tracheotomy tube. A prospective study was undertaken to assess the efficacy of this percutaneous tracheotomy technique. Serious complications were encountered, including difficulty with dilatation, excessive bleeding, false passage of the tracheotomy tube, and death. Because of this unacceptable morbidity, the study was terminated after enrollment of only seven patients. Percutaneous tracheotomy is a dangerous procedure with potential for catastrophic complications. These complications were encountered by third- and fourth-year surgical residents performing the procedure under close supervision. If the puncture technique is further popularized and attempted by untrained physicians, these authors predict many disasters.
authors.affiliation: Division of Head and Neck Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Berke
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Calcaterra
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Watts
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011677:Punctures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014140:Tracheotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*