[Tracheotomy in children].

Objective: To inspect and describe the results of tracheotomies carried out at our ENT Department and to assess changes in indications over the last few decades.

Material And Methods: Retrospective study of 13 patients, aged 3 months to 14 years, admitted by the ENT Department to the Paediatric ICU at Puerta del Mar University Hospital for elective tracheotomy over a 92-month period.

Results: The main indication is shared by obstructive respiratory insufficiency, post-surgery extubation failure and as a means of assisting ventilation in children requiring prolonged intubation.