Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Tracheostomy is required for several causes like prolonged ventilation time, central hypoventilation, neuromusculary diseases, severe laryngomalasia or tracheomalasia in children. We aimed to determine the demographic features and clinical outcomes of patients with tracheostomy who were followed in our clinic.
METHODS: The data of 48 patients were obtained retrospectively.
RESULTS: M/F:29/19. Median age of the patients was 2 years (1-4.5 years). Median age was six months for opening tracheostomy (1 month-7,5 age). Indication of tracheostomy were prolonged ventilation, asphyxia, bronchopulmonary displasia and airway malformation. The most common cause was congenital heart diseases in patients with prolonged ventilation. All of patients were ventilated, 24 of the patients were weaned but 21 of the patients were still ventilated. Frequency of hospitalization: at least 1 was 34.1%, more than 10 was 6.9%. After tracheostomy, 18.2% of patients never needed intensive care any time but 63.6% of patients needed intensive care at least one time. Thirty two of the patients were performed with flexible bronchoscopy. Bronchoscopic findings which were laryngomalasia, tracheomalasia, bronchomalasia, granulation tissue, vocal cord synechia, subglottic stenosis and branching anomalies;11, 7, 6, 10, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Tracheostomy still exist in 22 of the patients and tracheostomy closed in 15 of the patients during follow up. Five of the patients (10%) died.
CONCLUSIONS: Tracheostomy can decrease the duration of hospitalization and can facilitate the home monitoring in children with prolonged ventilation. Also, tracheostomy makes possible the decrease of hospitalization costs in these patients.
- Copyright ©the authors 2016
