title: Tracheal ulceration and obstruction associated with flexible Bivona tracheostomy tubes.
abstract: An adjustable length tracheostomy tube, Bivona, which assumes a curve on insertion, has a tendency to straighten itself in situ. The straightening force, measured electronically, was maximal (0.21 Newton) when a tube was bent 90 degrees. We observed particular clinical disadvantages of these tubes--that of tracheal ulceration (1 case), distortion of soft tracheal graft tissue (1 case) and airway obstruction when the tip embedded into the tracheal wall (1 case).
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tibballs
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000628:therapy; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008422:Materials Testing; D009085:Mucopolysaccharidosis IV / Q000628:therapy; D014132:Trachea / Q000293:injuries*; D014135:Tracheal Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014456:Ulcer / Q000209:etiology*