[Percutaneous tracheostomy procedure: nursing service control and follow-up]

A significant number of patients in the Intensive Care Units require ventilator support over long periods of time. A tracheostomy is necessary in these cases so that the patients can breathe properly and to allow access to the airway. Percutaneous tracheostomy (PT) is an increasingly used and minimally invasive procedure in which the Seldinger method is used for access the trachea. In recent years, it has become the alternative to surgical tracheostomy. In fact, it is becoming the technique of first choice in critical patients since it has many advantages regarding the conventional tracheostomy. It is an easy-to-use and safe technique, but one that is not exempt from risks. The nursing staff that helps to perform this operation must know its procedures, advantages, disadvantages, indications, contraindications and complications in order to act correctly and in coordination with the rest of the team and to be able to satisfy the patient's needs at each moment. In this article, the characteristic interventions of the nursing staff before, during and after performing this technique are explained.