Rabbit training model for establishing an emergency front of neck airway in children.

BACKGROUND: A 'cannot intubate, cannot oxygenate' (CICO) situation is rare in paediatric anaesthesia, but can always occur in children under certain emergency situations. There is a paucity of literature on specific procedures for securing an emergency invasive airway in children younger than 6 yr. A modified emergency front of neck access (eFONA) technique using a rabbit cadaver model was developed to teach invasive airway protection in a CICO situation in children. METHODS: After watching an instructional video of our eFONA technique (tracheotomy, intubation with Frova catheter over which a tracheal tube is inserted), 29 anaesthesiologists performed two separate attempts on rabbit cadavers. The primary outcome was the success rate and the performance time overall and in subgroups of trained and untrained participants. RESULTS: The overall success rate across 58 tracheotomies was 95% and the median performance time was 67 s (95% confidence interval [CI], 56-76). Performance time decreased from the first to the second attempt from 72 s (95% CI, 57-81) to 61 s (95% CI, 50-81). Performance time was 59 s (95% CI, 49-79) for untrained participants and 72 s (95% CI, 62-81) for trained participants. Clinical experience and age of the participants was not correlated with performance time, whereas the length of the tracheotomy incision showed a significant correlation (P=0.006). CONCLUSION: This eFONA training model for children facilitates rapid skill acquisition under realistic anatomical conditions to perform an emergency invasive airway in children younger than 2 yr.

Respuesta a Documento de consenso de la traqueotomía en pacientes con COVID 19 / Reply to Consensus document on tracheotomy in patients with COVID 19

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Documento de consenso de la Sociedad Española de Medicina Intensiva, Crítica, y Unidades Coronarias (SEMICYUC), la Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello (SEORL-CCC) y la Sociedad Española de Anestesiología y Reanimación (SEDAR) sobre la traqueotomía en pacientes con COVID-19 / Consensus documentof the Spanish Society of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC), the Spanish Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (SEORL-CCC) and the Spanish Society of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation (SEDAR) on tracheotomy in patients with COVID-19 infection

La alta incidencia de insuficiencia respiratoria aguda en el contexto de la pandemia por COVID-19 ha conllevado el uso de ventilación mecánica hasta en un 15%. Dado que la traqueotomía es un procedimiento quirúrgico frecuente, este documento de consenso, elaborado por tres Sociedades Científicas, la SEMICYUC, la SEDAR y la SEORL-CCC, tiene como objetivo ofrecer una revisión de las indicaciones y contraindicaciones de traqueotomía, ya sea por punción o abierta, esclarecer las posibles ventajas y exponer las condiciones ideales en que deben realizarse y los pasos que considerar en su ejecución. Se abordan situaciones regladas y urgentes, así como los cuidados posoperatorios

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

Documento de consenso de la Sociedad Española de Medicina Intensiva, Crítica, y Unidades Coronarias (SEMICYUC), la Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello (SEORL-CCC) y la Sociedad Española de Anestesiología y Reanimación (SEDAR) sobre la traqueotomía en pacientes con COVID-19 / Consensus document of the Spanish Society of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC), the Spanish Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (SEORL-CCC) and the Spanish Society of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation (SEDAR) on tracheotomy in patients with COVID-19 infection

La alta incidencia de insuficiencia respiratoria aguda en el contexto de la pandemia por COVID-19 ha conllevado el uso de ventilación mecánica hasta en un 15%. Dado que la traqueotomía es un procedimiento quirúrgico frecuente, este documento de consenso, elaborado por tres Sociedades Científicas, la SEMICYUC, la SEDAR y la SEORL-CCC, tiene como objetivo ofrecer una revisión de las indicaciones y contraindicaciones de traqueotomía, ya sea por punción o abierta, esclarecer las posibles ventajas y exponer las condiciones ideales en que deben realizarse y los pasos que considerar en su ejecución. Se abordan situaciones regladas y urgentes, así como los cuidados posoperatorios

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. Regularand emergency situations are displayed together with the postoperative measures

Recommendations of the Spanish Society of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery for performing tracheotomies in patients infected by the coronavirus, Covid-19. / Recomendaciones de la Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello para la realización de traqueotomías en relación con pacientes infectados por coronavirus COVID-19.

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.

A Surgical Safety Checklist for Performing Tracheotomy in Patients with Coronavirus Disease 19.

Performance of tracheotomy is a potential necessary step in the patient with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) and prolonged mechanical ventilation. Due to viral aerosolization, tracheotomy carries a high risk of transmission of COVID-19 to the health care team performing the procedure. We share our institution's surgical safety checklist for performing tracheotomy in patients with COVID-19, including key modifications intended to mitigate risk to the surgical team.

Competency-Based Assessment Tool for Pediatric Tracheotomy: International Modified Delphi Consensus.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Create a competency-based assessment tool for pediatric tracheotomy. STUDY DESIGN: Blinded, modified, Delphi consensus process. METHODS: Using the REDCap database, a list of 31 potential items was circulated to 65 expert surgeons who perform pediatric tracheotomy. In the first round, items were rated as "keep" or "remove," and comments were incorporated. In the second round, experts were asked to rate the importance of each item on a seven-point Likert scale. Consensus criteria were determined a priori with a goal of 7 to 25 final items. RESULTS: The first round achieved a response rate of 39/65 (60.0%), and returned questionnaires were 99.5% complete. All items were rated as "keep," and 137 comments were incorporated. In the second round, 30 task-specific and seven previously validated global rating items were distributed, and the response rate was 44/65 (67.7%), with returned questionnaires being 99.3% complete. Of the Task-Specific Items, 13 reached consensus, 10 were near consensus, and 7 did not achieve consensus. For the 7 previously validated global rating items, 5 reached consensus and two were near consensus. CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible to reach consensus on the important steps involved in pediatric tracheotomy using a modified Delphi consensus process. These items can now be considered to create a competency-based assessment tool for pediatric tracheotomy. Such a tool will hopefully allow trainees to focus on the important aspects of this procedure and help teaching programs standardize how they evaluate trainees during this procedure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 5 Laryngoscope, 130:2700-2707, 2020.

Development and validation of a model to predict the need for emergency front-of-neck airway procedures in trauma patients.

The present study aimed to develop and validate a model for predicting the need for emergency front-of neck airway (eFONA) procedures among trauma patients. This was a multicentre retrospective cohort study using data from the Japan Trauma Data Bank between January 2004 and December 2017. Only adult trauma patients were included. The cohort was divided into development and validation cohorts. A simple scoring system was developed to predict the necessity for emergency front-of neck airway procedures in the development cohort using a logistic regression model. The external validity and diagnostic ability of the scoring system was assessed in the validation cohort. In total, 198,182 out of 294,274 patients were included; emergency front-of-neck airway occurred in 467 patients (0.24%) they were divided into development (n = 100,120 with 0.22% undergoing emergency front-of neck airway) and validation (n = 98,062 with 0.25% undergoing emergency front-of neck airway) cohorts. The 'eFONA' prediction scoring system was developed in the development cohort, with a score of +1 for each of the following: Eye opening (no eye opening in response to any stimuli); Fall from height or motor bike; Oral-maxillofacial injury; Neck tracheal injury; and Airway management by paramedics. In the validation cohort, the C-statistic of the scoring system was 0.820. Setting the cut-off value at one for rule-out, the sensitivity and negative likelihood ratios were 0.86 and 0.22, respectively. Setting the cut-off value at two for rule-in, the specificity and positive likelihood ratios were 0.91 and 6.6, respectively. The present scoring system may assist in predicting the need for emergency front-of neck airway procedures among the general trauma population.

Respuesta a «Documento de consenso de la traqueotomía en pacientes con COVID-19» / Reply to «Consensus document on tracheotomy in patients with COVID-19»

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Performance of emergency surgical front of neck airway access by head and neck surgeons, general surgeons, or anaesthetists: an in situ simulation study.

BACKGROUND: The 'cannot intubate cannot oxygenate' (CICO) emergency requires urgent front of neck airway (FONA) access to prevent death. In cases reported to the 4th National Audit Project, the most successful FONA was a surgical technique, almost all of which were performed by surgeons. Subsequently, UK guidelines adopted surgical cricothyroidotomy as the preferred emergency surgical FONA technique. Despite regular skills-based training, anaesthetists may still be unwilling to perform an emergency surgical FONA. Consultant anaesthetists, head and neck surgeons, and general surgeons were compared in a high-fidelity simulated emergency. We hypothesised that head and neck surgeons would successfully execute emergency surgical FONA faster than anaesthetists and general surgeons. METHODS: We recruited 15 consultants from each specialty (total of 45) at a single tertiary care hospital in the UK. All agreed to participate in an in situ high-fidelity simulation of an 'anaesthetic emergency'. Participants were not told in advance that this would be a CICO scenario. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in total time to successful ventilation between anaesthetists, head and neck surgeons and general surgeons (median 86 vs 98 vs 126 s, respectively, P=0.078). Anaesthetists completed the emergency surgical FONA procedure significantly faster than general surgeons (median 50 vs 86 s, P=0.018). Despite this strong performance, qualitative data suggested some anaesthetists still believed 'surgeons' best placed to perform emergency surgical FONA in a genuine CICO situation. CONCLUSION: Anaesthetists regularly trained in emergency surgical FONA function at levels comparable with head and neck surgeons and should feel empowered to lead this procedure in the event of a CICO emergency.

The impact of didactic read-aloud action cards on the performance of cannula cricothyroidotomy in a simulated 'can't intubate can't oxygenate' scenario.

Significant benefits have been demonstrated with the use of peri-operative checklists. We assessed whether a read-aloud didactic action card would improve performance of cannula cricothyroidotomy in a simulated 'can't intubate, can't oxygenate' scenario. A 17-step action card was devised by an expert panel. Participants in their first 4 years of anaesthetic training were randomly assigned into 'no-card' or 'card' groups. Scenarios were video-recorded for analysis. Fifty-three participants (27 no-card and 26 card) completed the scenario. The number of steps omitted was mean (SD) 6.7 (2.0) in the no-card group vs. 0.3 (0.5); p < 0.001 in the card group, but the no-card group was faster to oxygenation by mean (95% CI) 35.4 (6.6-64.2) s. The Kappa statistic was 0.84 (0.73-0.95). Our study demonstrated that action cards are beneficial in achieving successful front-of-neck access using a cannula cricothyroidotomy technique. Further investigation is required to determine this tool's effectiveness in other front-of-neck access situations, and its role in teaching or clinical management.

[Not Available]. / Atemwegsmanagement - Tracheotomie Revisited.

Since 5000 years tracheotomy is a common way for airway management. Generally, Tracheotomy will be divided in a surgical tracheotomy the percutaneous Tracheotomy. The surgical Tracheotomy takes place in the operation theater. The percutaneous Tracheotomy is one of the standard procedures in the Intensive care unit. There are many methods to perform the percutaneous Tracheotomy. The gist of every method is the seldinger procedure. Bronchoscopic supervision during the whole procedure is one of the most important things to prevent complications. However percutaneous and surgical tracheotomy are safe and have a low rate of complications.

Randomized Controlled Trial Assessing the Feasibility of Shortened Fasts in Intubated ICU Patients Undergoing Tracheotomy.

OBJECTIVE: American Society of Anesthesiology guidelines recommend preoperative fasts of 6 hours after light snacks and 8 hours after large meals. These guidelines were designed for healthy patients undergoing elective procedures but are often applied to intubated intensive care unit (ICU) patients. ICU patients undergoing routine procedures may be subjected to unnecessary prolonged fasts. This study tests whether shorter fasts allow for better nutrition delivery and patient outcomes without increasing the risk. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized blinded controlled trial. SETTING: Tertiary academic medical center. SUBJECTS: ICU patients undergoing bedside tracheotomy. METHODS: Intubated ICU patients who were receiving enteral feeding and for whom bedside tracheotomy was indicated were enrolled prospectively and randomly allocated to 2 parallel preoperative fasting regimens: a 6-hour fast (control) and a 45-minute fast (intervention). Patients were assessed for aspiration, caloric delivery, metabolic markers, and infectious and noninfectious complications. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients were enrolled and randomized. There were no complications related to the procedure. There were no cases of intraoperative aspiration identified. There was a single postoperative pneumonia in the control group. Median (interquartile range) length of fast and caloric delivery were significantly different between the control group and the shortened fast group: 22 hours (18, 34) vs 14 hours (5, 25; P < .001) and 429 kcal (57, 1125) vs 1050 kcal (825, 1410; P = .01), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Shortening preoperative fasts in intubated ICU patients allowed for better caloric delivery in the preoperative period.

[Tracheostomy techniques]. / Tracheotomietechniken.

Due to the comprehensive establishment of modern techniques, tracheostomy has become a routine procedure in intensive care units (ICU). The negative effects of prolonged translaryngeal intubation on the laryngeal and tracheal mucosa up to tracheal stenosis can be reduced by tracheostomy. Furthermore, long-term ventilation is facilitated; however, there is no clear evidence on the optimal timing of tracheostomy in critically ill patients. The specific indications and contraindications of surgical as well as percutaneous tracheostomy must be strictly observed for a safe and successful intervention. Exchanging the tracheostomy tube may lead to potentially dangerous situations especially after percutaneous tracheostomy. A standardized and structured approach is therefore recommended.

Use of ultrasound guidance to improve the safety of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy: a literature review.

Patients in ICUs frequently require tracheostomy for long-term ventilator support, and the percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) method is preferred over surgical tracheostomy. The use of ultrasound (US) imaging to guide ICU procedures and interventions has recently emerged as a simple and noninvasive tool. The current evidence regarding the applications of US in PDT is encouraging; however, the exact role of US-guided dilatational tracheostomy (US-PDT) remains poorly defined. In this review, we describe the best available evidence concerning the safety and efficacy of US-PDT and briefly delineate the general principles of US image generation for the airway and of US-PDT procedures.

[Results of an artificial airway management protocol in critical patients subjected to mechanical ventilation]. / Resultados de un protocolo de manejo sobre la vía aérea artificial en pacientes críticos sometidos a ventilación mecánica.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the results of the implementation of a protocol in an intensive care unit (ICU) referred to critically ill patients requiring a prolonged artificial airway. DESIGN: A prospective, observational cohort study was carried out. INTERVENTION: Management strategies were established on the airway by endotracheal intubation (ETI) or tracheostomy, and guidelines were developed for action in the decannulation process. SETTING: A polyvalent ICU. PATIENTS: We studied 169 patients subjected to mechanical ventilation (MV), 67 with ETI ≥ 10 days of MV and 102 with percutaneous (PT) or surgical tracheostomy (TQ). VARIABLES OF INTEREST: ICU and hospital stays, days of ETI and MV, mortality, tracheostomy, anatomical risk factors, surgical complications, and postoperative decannulation period. RESULTS: ETI versus tracheotomy involved fewer days of MV (17 vs. 30 days, p<0.001), a shorter ICU stay (20 vs. 35 days, p<0.001), and a shorter hospital stay (34 vs. 51 days, p<0.001).There were more TQ procedures in patients with risk factors (47% TP vs. 89% TQ, p<0.001). Intraoperative minor bleeding was the most common complication, being associated with TQ (31% vs. 11%, p = 0.03). TP was associated with a shorter cannulationperiod (25 days vs. 34 days, p<0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The protocol variants showed no differences in terms of complications and mortality, when orienting application to patients with similar characteristics.

Tracheotomy-related catastrophic events: results of a national survey.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To gather qualitative and semiquantitative information about catastrophic complications during and following tracheotomy. STUDY DESIGN: National survey distributed to American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery members via the Academy weekly email newsletter during April and May 2011. METHODS: A total of 478 respondents provided estimates of the number of four specific tracheotomy-related complications (innominate artery fistula, esophageal fistula, acute tracheotomy occlusion, and obstructing granuloma), all catastrophic events, and events resulting in death or permanent disability encountered during their careers. There were 253 respondents who provided 405 free-text descriptions of specific events. RESULTS: The respondents experienced approximately one catastrophic event every 10 years and one event resulting in death or permanent disability every 20 years. More than 90% occurred more than 1 week after surgery. Categories of physicians who experienced more events per year included academic physicians and laryngologists. Pediatric otolaryngologists had twice as many innominate artery fistulas per year of practice as others. Qualitative (free-text) descriptions of the most serious events demonstrated that more of these events involved loss of airway and volume bleeds, usually from innominate or carotid artery erosion. Many of the events due to airway loss involved potentially correctable deficits in family education, nursing care, home care, and other structural factors. CONCLUSIONS: Even when we allow for selection bias, these data suggest that a substantial number of tracheotomy complications leading to death or permanent disability occur at a national level. The vast majority of events occur more than 1 week after the procedure. Many of the described events were caused by factors that should be amenable to prospective system improvement strategies.

Surveillance and management practices in tracheotomy patients.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To ascertain the surveillance and management practices for tracheotomy patients. STUDY DESIGN: Survey of tracheotomy management. METHODS: An electronically distributed 26-question survey was distributed under the auspices of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. RESULTS: There were 478 responses. The mean number of years in practice was 21.2 years (standard deviation [SD], 11.0 years). Sixty-five percent of respondents perform mainly adult tracheotomy. There is variation in surveillance patterns of immediate, postoperative, intermediate, and long-term surveillance. On average, respondents follow a fresh tracheotomy daily for about 6 days, monthly for about 3 months, and long-term surveillance every 4 months on average. Almost all respondents perform long-term surveillance during routine tracheotomy changes; 61.4% perform this surveillance with an endoscope, and a minority rely on history and examination. The mean frequency of tracheotomy tube changes was 2 months (SD, 2.2 months; median, 1.1 month; range, 0.06-12 months). Two hundred sixty-one respondents have or have used a decannulation algorithm. The vast majority, 96.2%, are comfortable with their current management practices. Over half of the respondents perceive value in a clinical practice guideline to help them with standardizing care, and 80% of respondents feel that it would assist other specialties in the care and surveillance of tracheotomy patients. CONCLUSIONS: There is marked variability in the surveillance and management of tracheotomy patients. There exists opportunity to improve care through standardization of surveillance and management of these patients.