Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy in a community hospital setting.
BACKGROUND
Over the past 15 years, many large university hospitals have reported their experience with percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT). The purposes of this study are to evaluate the safety of PDT in a non-university hospital setting and to compare our results with those published in the literature.


METHODS
The study was done by retrospective chart review.


RESULTS
Over a 6-year period, 300 PDTs were done in two community hospitals in Tyler, Texas. There was one death and 12 complications. Comparison of our results and those reported in five recently published articles in the literature showed no significant difference in mortality rate, pneumothorax, bleeding, paratracheal placement, dislodgement, or cellulitis. There was a trend toward a significantly lower incidence of paratracheal placement using bronchoscopic guidance.


CONCLUSIONS
Bedside PDT with bronchoscopic guidance can be safely done in a community hospital setting.
Thompson
E C
EC
Division of Trauma Surgery, Trinity Mother Frances Healthcare System, and the East Texas Medical Center, Tyler, USA.
Fernandez
L G
LG
Norwood
S
S
Wilkins
H
H
Vallina
V L
VL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013781:Texas; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data