Kalidass Muthukrishnan1, Elango Mohanraj2, Pankaj3, Jayasree Subramanian4
BACKGROUND Tracheostomy is the procedure in which an opening is created on the anterior wall of the trachea, thereby creating a stoma between the trachea and cervical skin. It is a lifesaving procedure performed to maintain the patency of the patient’s airway. Establishing and maintaining patient’s upper airway is the most vital step in basic life support. Tracheostomy is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures in intensive care unit patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Our prospective study, conducted in 210 patients, over a period of one year, comprehensively analyses the indications, types, and complications of tracheostomy. The patients were followed up for a period of 6 months at ENT GP to assess the results and complications, if any. RESULTS Total no. of cases studied was 210, male patients were 142 and female patients were 68. Emergency tracheostomy was done for 125 patients and elective tracheostomy was done for 85 cases. Of the reasons, Tracheobronchial toileting, malignant tumours and poisoning were the important causes. CONCLUSION The commonest age group was between 21-30 years, more common in males than females. Tumours, poisoning and tracheobronchial toileting were the important cause contributing to 88.6% of total cases.
