[Percutaneous tracheostomy for the management of the patient with a difficult airway].
BACKGROUND
In recent years, percutaneous tracheostomy has been performed in patients with adverse conditions such as short neck, obesity, coagulopathy or in emergency.


METHODS
We performed percutaneous tracheostomy with Griggs' or Ciaglia's technique in five patients with difficult airways due to laryngeal tumors, a laryngeal edema, a neck cancer or a cervical injury.


RESULTS
Well-trained anesthesiologists performed all procedures. In four patients, percutaneous tracheostomy was completed rapidly without any complications. The rest of patients underwent orotracheal intubation successfully with a percutaneous tracheostomy set prepared for an emergency situation. We call this setting "Stand-by PCT".


CONCLUSIONS
We believe that percutaneous tracheostomy in well-trained hands can be used safely for the management of the patient with a difficult airway.
Suzuki
Hiroto
H
Anesthesia and Critical Care Service, Chiba Aoba Municipal Hospital, Chiba, Japan.
Aoyagi
Mitsuo
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000379:methods*