title: Preventing accidental decannulations following tracheostomy.
abstract: Tracheostomy in infants and children is associated with a high rate of accidental decannulation in the early postoperative period. Eighty-eight patients underwent tracheostomy from 1980 to 1985, and 22 were sutured in place. Accidental decannulation occurred in 31.8% of the nonsutured and 4.5% of the sutured tracheostomies. We advocate suturing tracheostomy tubes in place in infants and children and describe a simple suture technique for this purpose.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences, Memphis.
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Carr
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D013536:Suture Techniques; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*