Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 13, 2025

Endotracheal Intubation via Tracheotomy and Subsequent Thoracotomy in Rats for Non-Survival Applications
Published on: March 15, 2024
[Tracheotomy earlier than recommended among patients with Covid-19]
Åsa Nihlén1, Erik Odhagen2, Ellen Lindell2
1överläkare, kirurg- och öron-kliniken; enheten för forskning, utbildning och innovation, Södra Älvsborgs sjukhus, Borås.
Abstract:
The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 has led to a sharp rise in intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and consequently a need to perform tracheotomies on patients with Covid-19. A number of guidelines have been published with recommendations for the timing of tracheostomy in Covid-19 patients, suggesting tracheotomy should be delayed until day 14-21 of mechanical ventilation. We present the first 66 patients treated in the ICU at Södra Älvsborg hospital in Sweden as a result of Covid-19. A total of 29 patients received a tracheostomy, median time 9 days post oral intubation, which is earlier than recommended. The mortality rate was 21%, which is slightly lower than reported from The Swedish Intensive Care Registry (25%). None of the doctors performing tracheotomies developed Covid-19 linked to the tracheotomy procedure.
Related Concept Videos
Tracheostomy Decannulation
Description of the Procedure
Decannulation refers to the permanent removal of the tracheostomy tube, signaling the resolution of the condition that initially necessitated the tracheostomy. The process requires a well-coordinated interplay between...
Endotracheal Tube Extubation
Procedure
Extubation removes the endotracheal tube (ETT) from the patient on mechanical ventilation. It requires a well-coordinated, multidisciplinary approach involving physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other healthcare professionals....
Tracheostomy Care I: Pre-procedural Steps
Required Equipment
The equipment necessary for tracheostomy care includes:
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation V: Advanced Airway Management Techniques
Tracheostomy Suctioning I: Pre-Procedural Steps
Equipment Required
First, gather all necessary equipment: a sterile suction catheter, a sterile disposable container, sterile gloves, a towel or...
Tracheostomy: Procedure and Tubes
Tracheostomy tubes can be made of semiflexible plastic (polyurethane or silicone), rigid plastic, or metal, and they come in...

