title: Safer tracheostomy: a proposal for the routine use of an airway exchange catheter during tracheostomy.
abstract: In the United States, more than 100,000 tracheostomies are performed annually. Many patients undergoing tracheostomy are critically ill, making them higher risk surgical candidates. Fortunately, the loss of airway during the procedure is rare, but when it occurs, the outcome can be catastrophic. In this report, we describe a technique to minimize the risk of airway loss by using an airway exchange catheter as an airway conduit during endotracheal tube removal. We present 2 clinical cases in which this technique was used successfully and made an important contribution to patient safety.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Anesthesia, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; and Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Hospital, Palo Alto, California.
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olejniczak
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lighthall