Risk Analysis Based on the Timing of Tracheostomy Procedures in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury Requiring Cervical Spine Surgery.

Objective: To determine the optimal moment to perform tracheostomy in a patient requiring anterior cervical fixation.

Methods: A retrospective observational study conducted over an 18-year period included 56 patients who had been admitted to the intensive care unit with acute spinal cord injury and underwent tracheostomy and surgical fixation. The sample was divided into 2 groups: at-risk group (31 patients who had undergone tracheostomy before cervical surgery or <4 days after surgery) and not-at-risk group (25 patients who had undergone tracheostomy >4 days after fixation surgery).