title: Pediatric tracheotomy: comparison of indications and complications between children and adults.
abstract: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the differences between adult and pediatric tracheotomies in terms of indications, early and late complications and decannulation time. A total of 136 (53 children, 83 adult) patients who underwent tracheotomy between 2006 and 2011 were studied. Prolonged intubation was the most common indication in children (84.9%), whereas in the adult group, upper airway obstruction (45.8%) was the main indication. Early and late complication rates in children were 22.6% and 5.7%, respectively. Complication rates (early 19.3%, late 4.8%) in adults did not differ statistically from those in children. Similar decannulation success was observed in children (34.6%) and adults (40.2%). Mean decannulation times after tracheotomy were 317 and 69 days in children and adults, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.040). Pediatric and adult tracheotomies differ in terms of indication and decannulation time, but complications are similar.
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. nildasuslu@yahoo.com
authors: Nilda
authors: N
authors: Süslü
authors: Gülce
authors: G
authors: Ermutlu
authors: Umut
authors: U
authors: Akyol
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000601:surgery*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014140:Tracheotomy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology