Tracheotomy in the ICU - Current opinions

Airway management is a vital component of intensive care unit treatment. Un fortunately, securing the airway poses significant and often unrecognised r isks to sensitive structures such as the larynx. pressure and trauma from a n artificial airway may occur anywhere in the involved anatomical regions. There is a strong association between duration of intubation and developmen t of airway complications. Long-term intubation may be associated with some form of stenosis in up to 20% of cases. When laryngostenosis becomes estab lished, less than 20% of these cases will eventually be successfully decanu lated. Timeous evaluation and early conversion to tracheotomy for patients intubated for longer than 5-7 days will prevent many of these unfortunate c omplications.