CERVICAL OSTEOMYELITIS AFTER PERCUTANEOUS TRANSTRACHEAL VENTILATION AND TRACHEOTOMY

Background. Percutaneous transtracheal ventilation has proven useful i n emergent airway management. Methods. A report of a case is presented . Results. A 42-year-old woman who developed laryngospasm required eme rgency airway intervention. She developed massive subcutaneous emphyse ma and required emergent cricothyroidotomy which was immediately conve rted to a tracheotomy. Although she was quickly decanulated, she devel oped late cervical osteomyelitis which resolved with intravenous antib iotic therapy. Conclusions. Cervical osteomyelitis has not been previo usly reported as a complication of percutaneous transtracheal ventilat ion or tracheotomy. Contamination of the deep neck spaces facilitated by pressure dissection of the fascial planes may have fed to this comp lication.