Khandelwal Ankur, Kapoor Indu, Goyal Keshav, Singh Shalendra, Jena Bhagya Ranjan
Department of Neuroanaesthesiology and Critical Care, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India.
Anaesthesiol Intensive Ther. 2017;49(4):317-319. doi: 10.5603/AIT.a2017.0050. Epub 2017 Sep 27.
The significant advantages of percutaneous tracheostomy over surgical (open) tracheostomy has enabled its widespread acceptability and practice in intensive care units. Over the years, various modifications in the technique of percutaneous tracheostomy has increased its safety profile and reduced the overall complication rate. However, even though it is a bedside procedure, inappropriate patient selection and poor adherence to protocols can lead to devastating complications. One such complication, namely pneumothorax, is often overlooked. In this article, we have highlighted all the possible etiologies of pneumothorax during percutaneous tracheostomy. A brief insight into some of the preventable strategies is also discussed.
