Use of percutaneous tracheostomy in intensive care units in Spain. Results of a national survey.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the use of percutaneous tracheostomy in Intensive Care Units (ICU) in Spain, its practice, and current opinions on the technique.


METHODS
An e-mail or post survey was sent to 239 Spanish ICU directors. Pediatric ICUs and coronary units were excluded.


RESULTS
One hundred ICUs (41.8%) replied. The 44% ( n=44) of the ICUs that answered belonged to university hospitals and 53% ( n=53) had postgraduate teaching. Eighty-two percent ( n=82) used percutaneous tracheostomy. Griggs' Guide Wire Dilating Forceps and Ciaglia Blue Rhino were the most frequent techniques employed. In 30.5% of ICUs ( n=25) endoscopic guidance was used, in 15.7% ( n= 13) it was routine. In 24.4% ( n=20) some kind of long-term follow-up was carried out, but only in 12.2% ( n=10) was follow-up done routinely. In 58.5% of ICUs ( n=48) in which percutaneous tracheostomy is performed is this technique considered safer than surgical tracheostomy and in 86.4% ( n=70) percutaneous tracheostomy is the first choice for tracheostomy in the critically ill patient.


CONCLUSIONS
Percutaneous tracheostomy is a well-established technique in ICUs in Spain, and is considered the technique of choice for tracheostomy in critically ill patients. It is mainly performed without endoscopic guidance and follow-up is not usually carried out.
Añón
José M
JM
Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Virgen de la Luz, Hermandad Donantes de Sangre No.1, 16002 Cuenca, Spain. elizalde@iponet.es
Escuela
Maria Paz
MP
Gómez
Vicente
V
García de Lorenzo
Abelardo
A
Montejo
Juan C
JC
López
Jorge
J
D004106:Dilatation; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D013030:Spain; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*