Bacterial biofilm presence in pediatric tracheotomy tubes

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether bacterial biofilms are present on pediatric tracheotomy tubes. DESIGN: Prospective observational series. INTERVENTIONS: Eleven tracheotomy tubes removed during routine tracheotomy tube changes were analyzed for biofilm and live bacteria presence using confocal microscopy and vital stains. The external and internal surfaces of the tracheotomy tubes were studied in 3 locations: distal tip, midtracheotomy tube, and proximal opening. These data were correlated with tracheotomy site cultures and the reason for tracheotomy dependence. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Microscopic images were analyzed for the presence of a biofilm (its morphological features and the presence of live and dead bacteria within the biofilm). RESULTS: Of 11 tracheotomy tubes, 10 had biofilm present on the internal surface of the distal tip. Externally, at the same location, 4 tubes had biofilms. On the internal surface of the midtracheotomy site, 8 had biofilm present, whereas only 1 had a biofilm on the internal surface of the proximal tracheotomy tube site. In the distal internal tracheotomy tube site, the biofilm was confluent in 5 tubes and patchy with evidence of microcolony formation in the remaining 5 tubes. Live bacteria were present in all biofilms. Control tracheotomy tubes did not have biofilms. All tracheotomy site cultures and disease states (chronic aspiration and bronchopulmonary dysplasia) were associated with tracheotomy tube biofilms. CONCLUSION: Bacterial biofilms containing live bacteria were demonstrated in most pediatric tracheotomy tubes, being most frequent and extensive on the internal surface of the distal tracheotomy tip.     

Cervical aerocele in a tracheotomy dependent pediatric patient

A 2-year-old female with tracheotomy dependent congenital bilateral vocal cord paralysis presented with a cervical aerocele inferior to the tracheotomy site. Management included bronchoscopy and surgical decompression with drain insertion and pressure dressings. Review of the literature shows no similar episodes reported of an acquired aerocele associated with a maintained tracheotomy.     

Practical aspects of pediatric tracheotomy care.

Infants and children who manifest respiratory distress secondary to congenital or acquired abnormalities of the airway pose a unique problem that frequently requires a tracheotomy to control the patient's airway. These tracheotomies often are required for extended periods of time. Skilled care and astute observation are essential for the care of these patients while in hospital and at home. Although many of the care concerns relate to nursing and social issues, the otolaryngologist must maintain an active role in the medical management and co-ordination of discharge. This paper provides the otolaryngologist with an outline of the hospital care required for the pediatric tracheotomy patient. Additionally, it offers the otolaryngologist a model program for discharge planning and follow-up for the pediatric tracheotomy patient in the community.     

The role of postoperative chest radiography in pediatric tracheotomy.

A postoperative chest radiograph has traditionally been obtained after tracheotomies to evaluate for the presence of a pneumothorax and to assess tube position. Several recent studies in adults have questioned the usefulness of routine postoperative chest radiography in uncomplicated cases, but the role of post-operative chest radiography in pediatric patients has not been previously reviewed. We performed this study to examine the clinical utility of post-tracheotomy chest radiography in pediatric patients and determine if this routine practice impacts patient management enough to merit continued usage. A retrospective review was performed of 200 consecutive pediatric patients who underwent tracheotomies by the otolaryngology service in a tertiary care pediatric hospital from January 1994 to June 1999. All patients received postoperative chest radiographs. Five of 200 patients had a new postoperative radiographic finding, with three requiring interventions. Two patients required chest tube placement for pneumothorax, and one patient required tracheostomy tube change for repositioning. Fifty-one patients, including both pneumothoraces, exhibited clinical signs of pneumothorax (decreased breath sounds or oxygen saturation) in the immediate postoperative period. Chest X-ray ruled out a pneumothorax in the remaining 49 patients. The majority of these 51 patients were less than 2 years old (94%, P=0.002) or weighed less than 17 kg (89%, P=0.004). Postoperative chest X-rays yielded clinically relevant information in 168 patients that fell into one or more of four high risk categories: age less than 2, weight less than 17 kg, emergent procedures, or concomitant central line placement. Avoiding chest X-rays in the remaining 32 patients would have resulted in potential savings of $5000, which does not reflect the actuarial cost of a missed complication. Since the majority of our patients (84%) fell into a high-risk category, we feel it would be prudent to continue obtaining postoperative chest radiographs following all pediatric tracheotomies.     

Powered debridement of suprastomal granulation tissue to facilitate pediatric tracheotomy decannulation

Objective

To compare suprastomal granulation tissue (SSGT) removal using the microdebrider with other common methods of excision.

Methods

Retrospective review (n = 21) of SSGT excision at a tertiary care pediatric hospital (2004–10). Outcome measures included intraoperative blood loss, operative time, decannulation rates, and complications.

Results

10 children underwent excision of SSGT via powered SSGT debridement and 8 were decannulated (80% success rate). Of the other 11 patients who had manually non-powered techniques (kerrison rongeur, laryngeal microinstruments, or optical forceps), 7 were decannulated (63% success rate). Operative time was on average shorter than all other procedures, but not significantly (p = 0.101). There was no significant difference in blood loss when powered debridement was compared to other techniques (p = 0.872). There were no significant complications encountered in our patients who received SSGT powered debridement.

Conclusions

Endoscopic powered SSGT debridement is a simple and useful tool in the process of pediatric tracheotomy decannulation with superior decannulation rate, shorter operative time, and comparable blood loss to other techniques.     

语前聋听神经病多道人工耳蜗植入效果初步观察

目的 探讨听神经病患者人工耳蜗植入后的电生理结果 变化并分析其听力言语康复效果.方法 对行人工耳蜗植入术的2例听神经病患儿进行术前听力学评估,术中、术后听觉诱发电位反应监测及开机后1年的随访,获得其开机后6个月与12个月时的听力言语康复效果,并与人工耳蜗使用时间相近的非听神经病耳蜗植入患儿的康复效果进行对比.结果 例1术中神经反应遥测henral response telemetry,NRT)及电刺激听性脑干诱发反应(electric auditory brainstem response,EABR)可引出波形,但重复性不好,EABR V波潜伏期延长.开机12个月时复查,2项电生理检查均引出可重复波形,EABR V波潜伏期在正常范围;听力言语康复效果显著提高,开机1年后有意义听觉整合量表得分优于对照组儿童;例2术中NRT未引出有意义波形,EABR可引出波形,但重复性不好;开机12个月复查,2项电生理检查均引出可重复波形,EABR V波潜伏期在正常范围;术后听力言语康复效果亦有所提高.结论 2例听神经病患者人工耳蜗植入后,术前听觉通路电活动的去同步化均得到一定程度的恢复,听力言语能力也有不同程度提高,说明人工耳蜗植入可以作为听神经病患者实现听力重建,重返主流社会的治疗和康复手段.     

The impact of pediatric tracheotomy on parental caregiver burden and health status

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of the placement of a pediatric tracheotomy tube on the degree of caregiver burden and overall health status of parents using general and disease-specific instruments. METHODS: Between January and July 2001, the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 12 (SF-12) and the Pediatric Tracheotomy Health Status Instrument (PTHSI) were administered to 154 families of children requiring tracheotomy. Summary scores were generated for each of the 2 scales of the SF-12 (the Physical Component Score [PCS] and the Mental Component Score [MCS]) as well as for the 4 previously established domains of the PTHSI: domain 1, physical symptoms of the child (7 items); domain 2, medical visits and cost (7 items); domain 3, parental rating of the child's psychological health status (3 items); and domain 4, parental rating of their own caregiver burden (17 items). Correlations between responses from the individual domains and between domain 4 of the PTHSI (reflecting caregiver burden) and the SF-12 were performed. RESULTS: The mean +/- SD summary scores for the 4 domains of the PTHSI were domain 1, 22.7 +/- 5.3; domain 2, 24.9 +/- 6.2; domain 3, 10.5 +/- 4.4; and domain 4, 48.3 +/- 9.5 (lower scores reflect "poorer" health status). The mean +/- SD summary scores of PCS and MCS were 50.5 +/- 11.3 and 35.8 +/- 11.4, respectively. There existed a significant correlation between parental caregiver burden (as expressed by domain 4) and the child's physical health status (domain 1) (0.32; P<.001) as well as between parental caregiver burden and increasing economic costs associated with this care (0.27; P<.001). A strong correlation was found between the domain measuring parental caregiver burden (domain 4) and the MCS-12 (r = 0.43; P<.001), while a poor correlation existed with the PCS-12 (r = -0.17; P =.14). Nevertheless, in contrast to caregiver burden, the health status of the caregivers as measured by the SF-12 did not alter according to the severity of illness for the children (P =.17). CONCLUSIONS: Parents caring for children with tracheotomy tubes experience significant caregiver burden. These parents appear to experience increased burden with respect to the child's severity of illness and increased costs associated with caring for their children. Overall, the mental health status for an adult caring for a child with a tracheotomy tube is significantly reduced and appears to be more affected than physical health status.     

Indications for tracheotomy in the pediatric intensive care unit population: a pilot study

OBJECTIVE: To define the indications for tracheotomy in patients requiring prolonged intubation (>1 week) in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). DESIGN: Retrospective chart review and follow-up telephone survey. SETTING: A tertiary care center PICU. OUTCOME MEASURE: Tracheotomy or extubation. PATIENTS: All patients older than 30 days in the PICU intubated for longer than 1 week between 1997 and 1999. RESULTS: During the study, 63 total admissions required intubation for longer than 1 week. A tracheotomy was necessary in 14% of admissions (n = 9). The mean length of intubation before the tracheotomy was 424 hours, whereas the mean length of intubation without the need for tracheotomy was 386 hours. Length of intubation, age, and number of intubations did not increase the probability of having a tracheotomy. Of those requiring a tracheotomy, 2 had tracheomalacia, 1 had subglottic edema, 1 had plastic bronchitis, 1 had Down syndrome with apnea resulting in right heart failure, 3 required long-term ventilation after cardiopulmonary collapse, and 1 had mitochondrial cytopathy. Of these 9 children, 7 were successfully decannulated, 1 patient died of underlying disease, and 1 patient remained cannulated secondary to the mitochondrial cytopathy. Twenty families of the patients who did not undergo a tracheotomy were reached by telephone after discharge. Most of the families reported that their children were free of stridor and hoarseness after extubation. CONCLUSIONS: Children tolerate prolonged intubation without laryngeal complications. The consideration for tracheotomy in the PICU setting must be highly individualized for each child.     

Posterior tracheal wall disruption: a rare complication of pediatric tracheotomy and bronchoscopy

Disruption of the posterior tracheal wall is an uncommon complication of tracheotomy, bronchoscopy, or even endotracheal intubation. With disruption of the posterior tracheal wall, air tracking may present as surgical emphysema, pneumomediastinum, or pneumothoraces, and may be associated with respiratory distress. Six children with posterior tracheal wall disruptions are presented: three associated with tracheotomy, one bronchoscopy, and another during endotracheal intubation. Early recognition and appropriate management of tracheal disruption will minimize air tracking and the associated morbidity. Tracheal disruption may be avoided by utilizing appropriate surgical, endoscopic, and intubation techniques.     

The tracheotomy punch for urgent tracheotomy

Tracheotomy is a commonly performed surgical technique used for long-term mechanical ventilation, upper airway obstruction, need for pulmonary toilet, and as an adjunct to surgery where ventilation is anticipated. Urgent tracheotomy may be performed when difficulty is encountered during an elective tracheotomy, or when cricothyroidotomy is impossible or contraindicated due to distorted anatomy or laryngeal obstruction. Various methods of creating a tracheal opening have been described and each of these methods has technical advantages and disadvantages. In the urgent setting, a rapid and technically simple approach is needed for optimal results. We have used the Eisele tracheotomy punch (Pilling, Teleflex Medical, Research Triangle Park, NC) for all tracheotomies, both elective and urgent. In this report we describe five illustrative cases in which the tracheotomy punch was used successfully in the urgent setting to ensure rapid airway access.     

Pediatric tracheotomy

Tracheotomies are increasingly performed in the pediatric population in the context of long-term treatment. There are specific pediatric aspects that require attention: differences in the pediatric compared to adult anatomy, the necessity for later reconstruction and the negative impact on oral feeding and speech development. Caring for pediatric tracheostomy patients is more challenging compared to adult patients. This needs to be addressed by a dedicated team during both in- and outpatient treatment.