ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this work is to describe the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of intensive care unit (ICU) patients in a second-level hospital in Madrid, Spain, focusing in those who underwent surgical tracheostomy during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The surgical technique and associated complications are also detailed. STUDY DESIGN: Observational and historical cohort. SETTING: Single center. METHODS: Eighty-three intubated COVID-19 patients were analyzed. Thirty bedside surgical tracheostomies had been performed following our safety protocol. RESULTS: Data from 83 patients admitted to the ICU in Infanta Leonor University Hospital were collected; 74.7% were male. The average age was 59.7 years. The main comorbidities found were hypertension in 51.8%, diabetes mellitus in 25.3%, asthma in 7.2%, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 3.6%. A surgical tracheostomy was carried out in 36.1% of patients who needed a prolonged intubation. The most frequent complication of the surgical procedure, bleeding, occurred in 30%, but the majority were mild and ceased with compression only. The most relevant complication was local infection, which occurred in 26.7% of patients. There were statistically significant differences in the time from the beginning of mechanical ventilation until weaning between tracheostomized and nontracheostomized patients. The mortality rate of patients who underwent tracheostomy was 56.7%. Despite severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 being highly contagious and tracheostomy being considered a high-risk procedure, our rate of infected ear, nose, and throat specialists was only 11.8%. CONCLUSION: In our experience, bedside surgical tracheostomy is a safe procedure in COVID-19 patients when safety protocols are followed.
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Humans , Female , Aged, 80 and over , Venous Thrombosis/diagnosis , Pacemaker, Artificial , Jugular Veins , Equipment FailureABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB), also known as esthesioneuroblastoma, is a rare malignant head and neck cancer thought to originate from the olfactory epithelium. It typically invades contiguous structures at presentation. We report a very rare case of multifocal and ectopic ONB. CASE REPORT: A 41-year-old man presented with left nasal obstruction and occasional left epistaxis associated with headache. Endoscopic examination of the nasal cavities and computed tomography suggested bilateral polypoid masses. Histopathological diagnosis after endoscopic resection established bilateral olfactory neuroblastoma of the ethmoid sinuses. The patient received postoperative radiotherapy. He remains free of disease 4 years after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge this is the second documented case of multifocal ectopic olfactory neuroblastoma. Clinicians should consider ONB in the differential diagnosis of bilateral synchronous nasal and paranasal masses to avoid delayed diagnosis. Endoscopic resection of ONB could be an option in selected cases.
