Comparative effectiveness of real-time ultrasound-guided tracheostomy and anatomic landmark percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The role of ultrasound during various airway procedures has been in the spotlight in recent years. This study reconsiders the potential role and effectiveness of ultrasound use during percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy in intensive care patient population. This study aims to assess the impact of real-time ultrasound (US) use on complication rates and procedural success in percutaneous dilational tracheostomy (PDT) opened with forceps dilatation technique using anatomical landmarks.

Patients And Methods: In this study, 59 patients who had undergone PDT in the intensive care unit (ICU) were reached. Written-electronic files and intensive care follow-up forms of the patients were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups: 44 patients in Group G (anatomical landmark PDT) and 15 patients in Group U (real-time US PDT). Demographic data, duration of intubation and ICU stay, discharge status, procedural characteristics and postoperative complications of the patients were determined.

Results: A total of 59 patients were analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 74.9±11.7 years, the mean tracheostomy duration was 33.3±20 days, and the mean duration of ICU stay was 60±45 days. Complications occurred in 62.7% of all patients. Minor bleeding was present in five (8.5%), moderate bleeding in 13 (22%), and major bleeding in 11 (18.6%) patients. In addition, pneumothorax was observed in one patient, misplacement of the tracheostomy cannula and emphysema in one patient, and esophageal injury in three patients. A total of 50 (84.7%) patients died, and nine (15.3%) patients continued to be treated in the ICU. Bleeding, hypoxemia, hypercapnia, tracheostomy opening time duration, and the number of attempts for the successful procedure were significantly higher in Group G than Group U (p<0.05). A negative correlation was found between the groups regarding the duration of tracheostomy (p = 0.001) and tracheostomy opening technique (p = 0.001).

Conclusions: The use of real-time ultrasound in percutaneous tracheostomies opened under elective conditions in the ICU reduces the complications of hypoxemia, hypercapnia and bleeding by dwindling the duration of the procedure and the number of attempts than the conventional technique.