Tracheostomy : two years prospective study

الملخص EN

Objective : Fo study the indications, complications and bacteriology of tracheostomy in King Fahd hospital.

Design : A prospective study of two years duration of all patients requiring tracheostomy.

Personal data, indications, complications and bacteriology have been recorded and analyzed.

Setting : ICU and ENT wards at King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Results: Forty-two (42) patients, thirty eight (38) adults (90.5%) and four (4) children (9.5 %) had tracheostomy.

Their age ranged from 4 months to 95 years (mean of 47 years).

Twenty four were males (57 %) and 18 females (43 %).

Thirty nine cases (92.8 %) had an elective, 2 (4.8 %) an urgent and one (2.4 %) an emergency tracheostomy.

The indications for tracheostomy were prolonged intubation with mechanical ventilation in 37 patients (88.1%), upper airway obstruction in 3 patients (7.1 %) and recurrent aspiration pneumonia with excessive secretions in 2 patients (4.8 %).

The complications were minor bleeding in 2 patients (4.8 %), discharging wound in 2 patients (4.8 %), surgical subcutaneous emphysema in 1 patient (2.4 %) and granulation tissue and stomal stenosis in 1 patient (2.4 %).

No ma,jor complications were encountered.

The commonest micro-organisms found were staphylococcus aureus in 8 patients (19 %), pseudomonas aeruginosa in 5 patients (11.9 %) and mixed organisms in 3 patients (7.1 %).

Co؛^u^ons:^cheostomy is a safe procedure to secure airway and is accompanied by minimal complications.

The commonest micro-organisms colonized were staph.aureus and pseudomonas aeruginosa.