Prevalence and Characteristics of Tracheal Lesions Observed in Tracheostomized Patients.

Background: Our objective was to describe the prevalence and characteristics of tracheal lesions observed in flexile bronchoscopies of tracheostomized patients, and to determine those factors associated with severe injuries.

Methods: This is an analytical, observational, and transversal study. The flexible bronchoscopies of tracheostomized patients from our database were reviewed to assess their lesions.

Effect of tracheostomy tube on work of breathing: Comparison of pre- and post-decannulation.

Objective: To describe and compare the work of breathing (WOB) during spontaneous breathing under four conditions: (1) breathing through a tracheostomy tube with an inflated cuff, (2) breathing through the upper airway (UA) with a deflated cuff and occluded tube, (3) breathing through the UA with an occluded cuffless tube, and (4) postdecannulation.

Patients And Methods: Patients who tolerated an occluded cuffless tube were included. Ventilatory variables and esophageal pressure were recorded.

[Weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation at 72 hours of spontaneous breathing].

The aim of this study was to describe the population admitted to a weaning center (WC) to receive invasive mechanical ventilation (MV), analyze their evolution and identify weaning failure predictors. The medical records of 763 patients admitted to the respiratory care service in the period between May 2005 and January 2012 were reviewed; 372 were selected among 415 tracheotomized and mechanically ventilated. Different variables were analyzed as weaning failure predictors.

Evaluation of tracheal cuff pressure variation in spontaneously breathing patients.

Background: Most of the studies referring cuff tubes' issues were conducted on intubated patients. Not much is known about the cuff pressure performance in chronically tracheostomized patients disconnected from mechanical ventilation.

Objective: To evaluate cuff pressure (CP) variation in tracheostomized, spontaneously breathing patients in a weaning rehabilitation center.