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Pediatric tracheotomy: are the indications changing?

Amy Lawrason1, Katherine Kavanagh

  • 1Division of Otolaryngology, University of Connecticut, United States. alawrason@gmail.com

International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
|March 30, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric tracheotomy indications shifted from prolonged ventilation to upper airway obstruction between 2000 and 2011. This study reviews changing trends in tracheotomy procedures for children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Otolaryngology
  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Respiratory Medicine

Background:

  • Tracheotomy in children is commonly performed for upper airway obstruction, prolonged ventilator dependence, and neurological impairment.
  • Understanding trends in tracheotomy indications is crucial for resource allocation and patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and analyze the indications for tracheotomy in a pediatric patient population over an 11-year period.
  • To identify any significant changes in the primary reasons for performing tracheotomies in children.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective chart review was conducted on pediatric patients who underwent tracheotomy between January 2000 and April 2011.
  • Patients were categorized into early (2000-2005) and late (2006-2011) groups to assess temporal changes in indications.
  • Data analyzed included patient demographics, pre-operative and post-operative diagnoses, and findings from laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy.

Main Results:

  • A shift in the primary indication for tracheotomy was observed between the two study periods.
  • Fewer patients required tracheotomy for prolonged ventilation in the later period (28%) compared to the earlier period (43%).
  • Upper airway obstruction became a more frequent indication for tracheotomy in the later patient group.

Conclusions:

  • The most common indications for pediatric tracheotomy have evolved over the past decade.
  • There has been a significant decrease in tracheotomies performed for prolonged intubation.
  • An increase in tracheotomies for upper airway obstruction highlights a changing patient profile requiring this procedure.
Abstract

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