title: Ultrasonographically guided percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy after anterior cervical spine fixation.
abstract: Patients with anterior cervical spine fixation (ACSF) after acute spinal cord injury often require tracheostomy for prolonged ventilatory support and upper respiratory tract clearance. The authors report two patients with ACSF who underwent a successful ultrasonographically guided percutaneous tracheostomy with dilatation forceps technique. Possible advantages of the ultrasonographically guided method with dilatation forceps in patients with ACSF are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and ICU, University Hospital Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sustić
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zupan
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eskinja
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dirlić
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bajek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D004106:Dilatation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011677:Punctures; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000379:methods*; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional