impact of specialized tracheostomy care team

Background: Tracheostomy care begins in the intensive care unit [ICU] and after stabilization, the patient is transferred to a general ward, decannulated or discharged. Insufficient experience of staff caring for tracheostomy patients may lead to suboptimal care and increased morbidity

Objective: To assess the impact of a specialized multidisciplinary tracheostomy team on tracheostomy care

Design: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Setting: ENT Department, Salmaniya Medical Complex, Bahrain

Method: The data was collected from the ICU and medical wards from January 2009 to December 2014. Criteria assessed were tracheostomy tube used, decannulation time and incidence of tracheostomy-related complications

Result: Six hundred forty-four patients post-tracheostomy were reviewed. One hundred twenty-nine [20%] patients were decannulated between one month to 3 years; 28 [4.3%] patients had complications. No death was recorded due to tracheostomy-related complications

Conclusion: There was a significant reduction in tracheostomy complications due to specialized tracheostomy team. The decannulation time was successfully reduced and an increased number of decannulated patients

Kimuras disease of the external ear canal

Review of a case of kimuras disease in the external Auditory canal in a non-Bahraini Asian patient who had a total local excision of the lesion, we reviewed the literature which stated that this a rare vascular skin lesion which involves the Head and Neck region in mostly adult patients1.The lesion histologically composed of two component: vascular endothelium and lymphoid follicles, with inflammatory infiltrate.the most effective treatment is local surgical excision to avoid recurrence and to restore function2