title: Ultrasound-guided percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy with laryngeal mask airway control in a morbidly obese patient.
abstract: Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) is a widely used and accepted method of long-term ventilation of critically ill patients in many intensive care units. However, it has certain contraindications that must be taken into account; for example, difficult anatomy and short, bull neck that are so often seen in morbidly obese persons. We present a case of a morbidly obese female patient in whom ultrasound-guided PDT was performed and in whom the airway was controlled by Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) during the procedure. Possible advantages of an ultrasonography-guided method and LMA control in morbidly obese patients also are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and ICU, University Hospital Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia. alan.sustic@named.medri.hr
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sustić
authors.forename: Zeljko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zupan
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Antoncić
mesh_terms: D004106:Dilatation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017214:Laryngeal Masks; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid; D011677:Punctures; D014132:Trachea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000379:methods*; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional