title: Haemorrhage during minitracheotomy: reduction of risk by altered incision.
abstract: A 46-year-old male was admitted to an intensive care unit: for 11 days he waa ventilated via a naso-tracheal tube. Because of excess tracheal secretions, a mini tracheotomy was attempted on the unit which resulted in profuse arterial haemorrhage, necessitating immediate reintubation and subsequent formal tracheostomy. The authors feel that this complication was due to a mid-line vertical incision and that this could have been avoided by a horizontal incision across the lower part of the cricothyroid membrane, as close to the cricoid cartilage as possible. They describe their recommended technique.
authors.affiliation: Leeds General Infirmary.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Terry
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cook
mesh_terms: D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014140:Tracheotomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods