Pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax during emergency tracheotomy under spontaneous ventilation: Macklin meets Müeller?

Retrospective analysis of open bedside tracheotomies in a German tertiary care university hospital

OBJECTIVE

Open surgical tracheotomy performed beside (STB) is a standardized procedure in critical ill patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate perioperative complications and the safety of STB in a tertiary care university hospital setting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Intra- and postoperative complications were retrospectively recorded and associations based on the evaluation of clinical and laboratory parameters were studied using regression analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 562 patients were included. Early tracheotomy shortened ventilation time after tracheotomy (ventilation before STB ≤ 5 days: mean 9.2 ± 9.1 days; ventilation before STB ≥ 6 days: mean 11.5 ± 10.5 days, p = 0.0001). Overall complications were found in 30/562 cases (5.3%), major complications in 12/562 cases (2.1%). Significant risk factors for overall tracheotomy related complications were higher body mass index (odds ratio [OR] 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.07, p = 0.02), lower CRP (OR 0.99, CI 0.99-1.00, p = 0.03), higher INR (OR 5.67, CI 1.27-25.34, p = 0.02), longer duration of operation (OR 1.03, CI 1.00-1.06, p = 0.04) and tracheotomy during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support (OR 6.26, CI 1.21-32.44, p = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

STB represents a safe surgical procedure, also suitable for patients with an increased risk profile. Careful evaluation of individual risk factors should be favored to reduce procedure related complications.

Iatrogenic Tension Pneumothorax after Surgical Tracheostomy in a Child with Idiopathic Subglottic Stenosis: case report

Tracheostomy is increasingly performed in children for upper airway anomalies. Here, an 18-month-old child (height 84.1 cm, weight 12.5 kg) presented to the emergency department with dyspnea, stridor, and chest retraction. However, exploration of the airways using a bronchoscope failed due to subglottic stenosis. Therefore, a surgical tracheostomy was successfully performed with manual mask ventilation. However, pneumomediastinum was found in the postoperative chest radiograph. Although an oxygen saturation of 99% was initially maintained, oxygen saturation levels dropped, due to sudden dyspnea, after 3 hours. A chest radiograph taken at this time revealed a left tension pneumothorax and small right pneumothorax. Despite a needle thoracostomy, the pneumothorax was aggravated, and cardiac arrest occurred. Cardiopulmonary-cerebral resuscitation was performed, but the patient was declared dead 30 minutes later. This study highlights the fatal complications that can occur in children during tracheostomy. Therefore, close monitoring, immediate suspicion, recognition, and aggressive management may avoid fatal outcomes.