Safe ultrasound-guided percutaneous tracheostomy in eight steps and necessary precautions in COVID-19 patients.

Percutaneous tracheostomy has been considered the standard method today, the bronchoscopy-guided technique being the most frequently performed. A safe alternative is ultrasound-guided percutaneous tracheostomy, which can be carried out by the surgeon, avoiding the logistical difficulties of having a specialist in bronchoscopy. Studies prove that the efficacy and safety of the ultrasound-guided technique are similar when compared to the bronchoscopy-guided one. Thus, it is of paramount importance that surgeons have ultrasound-guided percutaneous tracheostomy as a viable and beneficial alternative to the open procedure. In this article, we describe eight main steps in performing ultrasound-guided percutaneous tracheostomy, highlighting essential technical points that can reduce the risk of complications from the procedure. Furthermore, we detail some precautions that one must observe to reduce the risk of aerosolization and contamination of the team when percutaneous tracheostomy is indicated in patients with COVID-19.

Pneumomediastinum complicating COVID-19: a case series.

BACKGROUND: Pneumomediastinum is a rare complication of COVID-19 pneumonia, which may or may not be associated with invasive ventilatory support. Therefore, the report and findings associated with its evolution can be of great contribution in the management of this unknown disease. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we present a series of four patients with severe pneumomediastinum requiring intensive care unit. These patients developed pneumomediastinum before or during orotracheal intubation (OTI) or without OTI. The four patients were three men and one woman with a mean age of 60.5 years (48-74 years). No patients had a known history of lung disease or traumatic events, except for one patient who had a history of smoking, but who was without parenchymal disease. All intubations were performed without complications. No cases of pneumomediastinum occurred after tracheostomy, and none of the patients had tomographic or bronchoscopic evidence of tracheal injury. Although the pneumomediastinum observed in our cases was apparently not related to a violation of the aerodigestive track, this complication was associated with a worse prognosis. CONCLUSION: Pneumomediastinum is a rare complication of COVID-19 pneumonia, and the most likely etiopathogenesis is severe pulmonary involvement, which may or may not be associated with invasive ventilatory support. Future studies with a greater number of cases should elucidate the relationship of pneumomediastinum to a probable prognostic factor.

Outcomes after emergency abdominal surgery in COVID-19 patients at a referral center in Brazil.

PURPOSE: COVID-19 is associated with high morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing surgery. Contrary to elective procedures, emergency operations should not be postponed. We aim to evaluate the profile and outcomes of COVID-19 patients who underwent emergency abdominal surgery. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of perioperative data of COVID-19 patients undergoing emergency surgery from April 2020 to August 2020. RESULTS: Eighty-two patients were evaluated due to abdominal complaints, yielding 22 emergency surgeries. The mean APACHE II and SAPS were 18.7 and 68, respectively. Six patients had a PaO2/FiO2 lower than 200 and more than 50% of parenchymal compromise on chest tomography. The most common indications for emergency surgery were hernias (6; 27.2%). The median length of stay was 30 days, and only two patients required reoperation. Postoperatively, 10 (43.3%) patients needed mechanical ventilation for a mean of 6 days. The overall mortality rate was 31.8%. CONCLUSION: Both postoperative morbidity and mortality are high in COVID-19 patients with respiratory compromise and abdominal emergencies.

Standardization of elective tracheostomies at the Central Institute of the Hospital das Clínicas in São Paulo during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 Pandemic has resulted in a high number of hospital admissions and some of those patients need ventilatory support in intensive care units. The viral pneumonia secondary to Sars-cov-2 infection may lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and longer mechanical ventilation needs, resulting in a higher demand for tracheostomies. Due to the high aerosolization potential of such procedure, and the associated risks of staff and envoirenment contamination, it is necesseray to develop a specific standardization of the of the whole process involving tracheostomies. This manuscript aims to demonstrate the main steps of the standardization created by a tracheostomy team in a tertiary hospital dedicated to providing care for patients with COVID-19. RESUMO A pandemia da COVID-19 tem gerado um número elevado de internações hospitalares e muitos pacientes são admitidos nas unidades de terapia intensiva para suporte ventilatório invasivo. A pneumonia viral provocada pelo Sars-cov-2 pode resultar na síndrome da disfunção respiratória aguda (SDRA) e em um tempo prolongado de ventilação mecânica, gerando uma demanda maior de traqueostomias. Diante do alto potencial de aerossolização desse procedimento, com risco de contaminação da equipe e do ambiente, é necessário criar uma padronização específica de todo o processo que envolve essa cirurgia. Este artigo visa demonstrar as principais etapas dessa padronização desenvolvida por um equipe dedicada à realização de traqueostomias em um hospital terciário dedicado ao atendimento de pacientes com suspeita ou confirmação de COVID-19.

Standardization of elective tracheostomies at the Central Institute of the Hospital das Clínicas in São Paulo during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 Pandemic has resulted in a high number of hospital admissions and some of those patients need ventilatory support in intensive care units. The viral pneumonia secondary to Sars-cov-2 infection may lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and longer mechanical ventilation needs, resulting in a higher demand for tracheostomies. Due to the high aerosolization potential of such procedure, and the associated risks of staff and envoirenment contamination, it is necesseray to develop a specific standardization of the of the whole process involving tracheostomies. This manuscript aims to demonstrate the main steps of the standardization created by a tracheostomy team in a tertiary hospital dedicated to providing care for patients with COVID-19.