[Balloon dilation as an alternative to tracheotomy for acquired subglottic stenosis in children of the first year of life]

OBJECTIVE

To study the efficacy and safety of balloon dilation as the first choice method in the treatment of children of the first year of life with acquired subglottic stenosis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis of the treatment of 25 patients aged 27 days to 11 months of life (average age 5.3±3.76 months) with subglottic stenosis caused by prolonged intubation, in whom balloon dilation was the first method of treatment. Grade III Cotton-Myer stenosis was preoperatively detected in 22 children, the remaining 3 had grade II stenosis.

RESULTS

The success rate of balloon dilation was 100%; tracheotomy was not required in any case, the absence of stenosis during a follow-up examination in the catamnesis was recorded in 14 (56%) children, the remaining 11 (44%) had grade 0-I stenosis and did not cause respiratory disorders. In 1 child (1.5 years old), a subglottic cyst was removed after balloon dilation. One dilation was required in 18 (72%) children, two - in 5 (20%), three and four - respectively for 1 patient. If additional intervention was necessary, the operation was repeated 10 days - 3 months after the previous one. There were no postoperative complications.

CONCLUSION

Balloon dilation is a highly effective and safe alternative to traditional surgical interventions for acquired subglottic stenosis in children of the first year of life and can be recommended as a method of first choice.

[Modern causes of tracheostomy in children]

The purpose of work is to analyze the causes of tracheostomy in children hospitalized in a large multidisciplinary pediatric hospital.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Retrospective analysis of case of children treated in a multidisciplinary urgent hospital - GBUZ «Morozovskaya CCCH of MDH», which in the period from 01.01.16 to 31.12.18 was made operation «tracheostomy» was conducted.

RESULTS

Tracheostomy was performed in 138 (0.064%) among 216 469 hospitalized children. Age at the time of tracheostomy ranged from 2 weeks to 17.5 years (on average 67.9±59.84 months, Me=47.5 months), and 36.2% of children had tracheostomy was done on the 1^st year of life. 126 (91.3%) patients required prolonged tracheal intubation prior to tracheostomy placement; the duration of intubation ranged from 1 to 95 days (on average 19.9±13.42 days, Me=14 days). The main reasons of tracheostomy were the need for long-term mechanical ventilation/respiratory support; the need for constant sanitation of the lower respiratory tract with bulbar/pseudobulbar disorders; upper respiratory paths obstruction. The diseases that led to this condition can be grouped into 4 categories: CNS pathology - 76 (55.1%) patients; brain / spinal cord tumors - 36 (26.1%); neurodystrophy and stenosis of the upper respiratory tract of various etiology - 13 (9.4% each) patients. 68.1% of patients were found incurable and required palliative care. Mortality among patients with a known catamnesis was 39.1%, mainly due to progression of the underlying disease; the lethality associated with tracheal cannulation was 1.4%.

CONCLUSION

Currently, pediatric tracheostomy is moving into the category of predominantly planned surgical interventions. More than 2/3 of children requiring tracheostomy are patients in need of palliative care with severe pathology of the central nervous system; in which the main indications for surgery are the need for respiration support and regular tracheobronchial care..