Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 30, 2026

The Rigid Tube as an Alternative in Controlling the Problematic Airway
Published on: June 6, 2020
Percutaneous dilational tracheostomy: a comparison of single- versus multiple-dilator techniques
J L Johnson1, M L Cheatham, S G Sagraves
1Department of Surgical Education, Orlando Regional Medical Center, Orlando, Florida, USA.
Objective:
To compare the safety and efficacy of single- vs. multiple-dilator techniques in the performance of percutaneous dilational tracheostomy.
Design:
Prospective randomized trial.
Setting:
Intensive care units at a level 1 trauma center.
Patients:
Fifty consecutive patients requiring tracheostomy for airway control or prolonged mechanical ventilatory support.
Interventions:
Patients were randomized to receive a percutaneous dilational tracheostomy by either the single- or multiple-dilator technique described by Ciaglia.
Measurements And Main Results:
Percutaneous dilational tracheostomy was performed using the single-dilator technique in 6:01 +/- 3:03 mins and by the multiple-dilator technique in 10:01 +/- 4:26 mins (p <.0006). There were no statistically significant differences in complication rates between the two techniques. No major complications occurred with either technique.
Conclusion:
The single-dilator percutaneous tracheostomy technique is a safe, cost-effective, and more rapidly performed method for bedside tracheostomy in the intensive care unit.
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