Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Intensive Care Medicine
Published in: Intensive Care Medicine 8/2003

01-08-2003 | Brief Report

Tracheostomy for long-term ventilated patients: a postal survey of ICU practice in The Netherlands

Authors: Bernard G. Fikkers, Gerdine A. J. Fransen, Johannes G. van der Hoeven, Inge S. Briedé, Frank J. A. van den Hoogen

Published in: Intensive Care Medicine | Issue 8/2003

Login to get access

Abstract

Objective

To assess the frequency, timing, technique, and follow-up of tracheostomy for long-term ventilated patients in different intensive care units (ICUs) in The Netherlands.

Design and setting

Postal questionnaire, survey on retrospective data. A questionnaire was sent to all (n=63) ICUs with six or more beds suitable for mechanical ventilation and officially recognized by The Netherlands Intensive Care Society. Pediatric ICUs were excluded.

Measurements and results

There was an 87% (n=55) response rate of contacted ICUs. The number of tracheostomies per year per unit varied widely (range 1–75), most ICUs (42%) performing between 11 and 25 tracheostomies per year. In 44% of ICUs (n=24) tracheostomy was not performed on a routine basis. In 25% of ICUs (n=14) tracheostomies were performed during the second week of ventilation. Surgical tracheostomy and percutaneous procedures were technique of first choice in 38% and 62% of ICUs, respectively. In only 7% of units were late follow-up protocols in use. Thirty-two units (58%) reported a total of 56 major complications.

Conclusions

Timing and technique of tracheostomy varies widely in Dutch ICUs. The percutaneous technique is the procedure of choice for tracheostomy in most of these units. Late follow-up protocols are rarely in use.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Graamans K, Pirsig W, Biefel K (1999) The shift in the indications for the tracheotomy between 1940 and 1955: an historical review. J Laryngol Otol 113:624–627PubMed
2.
Ciaglia P, Firsching R, Syniec C (1985) Elective percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy. A new simple bedside procedure; preliminary report. Chest 87:715–719PubMed
3.
Byhahn C, Lischke V, Halbig S, Scheifler G, Westphal K (2000) [Ciaglia Blue Rhino: a modified technique for percutaneous dilatation tracheostomy. Technique and early clinical results]. Anaesthesist 49:202–206CrossRefPubMed
4.
Griggs WM, Worthley LI, Gilligan JE, Thomas PD, Myburg JA (1990) A simple percutaneous tracheostomy technique. Surg Gynecol Obstet 170:543–545PubMed
5.
Maziak DE, Meade MO, Todd TR (1998) The timing of tracheotomy: a systematic review. Chest 114:605–609PubMed
6.
Dulguerov P, Gysin C, Perneger TV, Chevrolet JC (1999) Percutaneous or surgical tracheostomy: a meta-analysis. Crit Care Med 27:1617–1625PubMed
7.
Freeman BD, Isabella K, Lin N, Buchman TG (2000) A meta-analysis of prospective trials comparing percutaneous and surgical tracheostomy in critically ill patients. Chest 118:1412–1418PubMed
8.
Cheng E, Fee WE Jr (2000) Dilatational versus standard tracheostomy: a meta-analysis. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 109:803–807PubMed
9.
Susanto I (2002) Comparing percutaneous tracheostomy with open surgical tracheostomy. BMJ 324:3–4CrossRefPubMed
10.
Fischler L, Erhart S, Kleger GR, Frutiger A (2000) Prevalence of tracheostomy in ICU patients. A nation-wide survey in Switzerland. Intensive Care Med 26:1428–1433CrossRef
11.
Westphal K, Byhahn C (2001) [Update 2000: tracheostomy on German intensive care units]. Anaesthesiol Intensivmedizin 42:70–74
12.
Cooper RM (1998) Use and safety of percutaneous tracheostomy in intensive care. Report of a postal survey of ICU practice. Anaesthesia 53:1209–1212PubMed
13.
Wise H (2002) Experience of complications of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy. Anaesthesia 57:195–197CrossRef
14.
Dollner R, Verch M, Schweiger P, Deluigi C, Graf B, Wallner F (2002) Laryngotracheoscopic findings in long-term follow-up after Griggs tracheostomy. Chest 122:206–212PubMed
Metadata
Title
Tracheostomy for long-term ventilated patients: a postal survey of ICU practice in The Netherlands
Authors
Bernard G. Fikkers
Gerdine A. J. Fransen
Johannes G. van der Hoeven
Inge S. Briedé
Frank J. A. van den Hoogen
Publication date
01-08-2003
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Intensive Care Medicine / Issue 8/2003
Print ISSN: 0342-4642
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1238
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-003-1824-x

Other articles of this Issue 8/2003

Intensive Care Medicine 8/2003 Go to the issue

Brief Report

Usefulness of procalcitonin for diagnosing complicating sepsis in patients with cardiogenic shock

Editorial

Ventilator-induced lung injury, cytokines, PEEP, and mortality: implications for practice and for clinical trials

Correspondence

Reply to comment on "Fluid responsiveness in mechanically ventilated patients: a review of indices used in intensive care"

Physiological Note

Alveolar ventilation and pulmonary blood flow: the V̇A/Q̇ concept

Original

HLA-DR as a marker for increased risk for systemic inflammation and septic complications after cardiac surgery

Correspondence

Assessing cardiac preload or fluid responsiveness? It depends on the question we want to answer