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Outcomes of Pediatric Tracheostomy: The Impact of Body Weight on Complications

Ferhat Sarı1, Elif Sari2, Dastan Temirbekov2

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul Aydın University, Istanbul 34295, Turkey.

Journal of Clinical Medicine
|July 15, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric tracheostomy poses risks, especially for low-weight infants. This study found that body weight impacts complications and hospital stay, suggesting weight-based planning for safer procedures.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Critical Care Medicine
  • Otolaryngology

Background:

  • Pediatric tracheostomy is a vital airway procedure with inherent risks, particularly for infants and young children.
  • Limited data exist on how body weight influences perioperative outcomes in pediatric tracheostomy.
  • Understanding weight-based risks is crucial for optimizing surgical planning and patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the effect of body weight on acute complications after pediatric tracheostomy.
  • To analyze the clinical course and outcomes in relation to patient body weight.
  • To specifically investigate the risks associated with low-weight infants undergoing tracheostomy.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study of 39 pediatric patients undergoing tracheostomy.
  • Patients stratified into three body weight groups for comparative analysis.
  • Analysis of demographic data, indications, procedural details, complications, and clinical outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Seven patients experienced acute complications, primarily cannula-related.
  • Higher complication rates were observed in patients weighing less than 5 kg.
  • Patients under 5 kg had a significantly longer mean hospital stay compared to heavier groups.

Conclusions:

  • Low body weight trends towards increased technical risk and prolonged hospitalization in pediatric tracheostomy.
  • While not statistically significant in this cohort, a clinically relevant association exists.
  • Weight-based procedural planning is recommended for enhanced safety in vulnerable, low-weight pediatric patients.

Keywords:
cannula-related complicationsintensive care outcomespediatric tracheostomypredictive modelingweight-based risk stratification

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