01-06-2004 | Brief Report
Use of percutaneous tracheostomy in intensive care units in Spain. Results of a national survey
Published in: Intensive Care Medicine | Issue 6/2004
Login to get accessAbstract
Objectives
To assess the use of percutaneous tracheostomy in Intensive Care Units (ICU) in Spain, its practice, and current opinions on the technique.
Design and setting
An e-mail or post survey was sent to 239 Spanish ICU directors. Pediatric ICUs and coronary units were excluded.
Measurements and main results
One hundred ICUs (41.8%) replied. The 44% (n=44) of the ICUs that answered belonged to university hospitals and 53% (n=53) had postgraduate teaching. Eighty-two percent (n=82) used percutaneous tracheostomy. Griggs’ Guide Wire Dilating Forceps and Ciaglia Blue Rhino were the most frequent techniques employed. In 30.5% of ICUs (n=25) endoscopic guidance was used, in 15.7% (n= 13) it was routine. In 24.4% (n=20) some kind of long-term follow-up was carried out, but only in 12.2% (n=10) was follow-up done routinely. In 58.5% of ICUs (n=48) in which percutaneous tracheostomy is performed is this technique considered safer than surgical tracheostomy and in 86.4% (n=70) percutaneous tracheostomy is the first choice for tracheostomy in the critically ill patient.
Conclusions
Percutaneous tracheostomy is a well-established technique in ICUs in Spain, and is considered the technique of choice for tracheostomy in critically ill patients. It is mainly performed without endoscopic guidance and follow-up is not usually carried out.