[Risk of long-term intubation in pseudocroup]

The mortality and complication rates of prolonged endotracheal intubation and tracheostomy are now similar. A patient is reported to show that prolonged intubation cannot be recommended for the treatment of subglottic laryngotracheitis. laryngotracheal stenosis after such treatment is a considerably more difficult therapeutic problem than a tracheal stenosis after tracheostomy. It also produces irreversible disturbance of laryngeal function. For this reason early tracheostomy, after endotracheal intubation for 24 h at most, is to be preferred in severe pseudocroup.