ABSTRACT
The current COVID-19 pandemic has rendered up to 15% of patients under mechanical ventilation. Because the subsequent tracheotomy is a frequent procedure, the three societies mostly involved (SEMICYUC, SEDAR and SEORL-CCC) have setup a consensus paper that offers an overview about indications and contraindications of tracheotomy, be it by puncture or open, clarifying its respective advantages and enumerating the ideal conditions under which they should be performed, as well as the necessary steps. Regular and emergency situations are displayed together with the postoperative measures.
Subject(s)
Betacoronavirus , Consensus , Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology , Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology , Societies, Medical , Tracheostomy/standards , Anesthesiology , Bronchoscopy/adverse effects , Bronchoscopy/standards , COVID-19 , Contraindications, Procedure , Coronary Care Units , Elective Surgical Procedures/standards , Emergencies , Humans , Intensive Care Units , Otolaryngology , Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures , Pandemics , Postoperative Care/methods , Postoperative Care/standards , Respiration, Artificial/standards , Resuscitation , SARS-CoV-2 , Spain , Time Factors , Tracheostomy/adverse effects , Tracheostomy/methodsABSTRACT
The recent COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is causing an increase in the number of patients who, due to their pulmonary ventilatory status, may require orotracheal intubation. COVID-19 infection has demonstrated a high rate of transmissibility, especially via the respiratory tract and by droplet spread. The Spanish Society of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, based on the article by Wei et al. of 2003 regarding tracheotomies performed due to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), has made a series of recommendations for the safe performance of tracheotomies.