Our experience: Surgical
tracheostomy in 20 patients with COVID- 19 pneumonitis
Key points
- The potential for transmission
of the SARS -CoV-2 virus to healthcare workers performing the
tracheostomy necessitates changes to standard tracheostomy procedures
- Surgical tracheostomy performed
in a theatre environment enables surgical and anaesthetic teams to
support critical care staff by taking ownership of this aspect of
patient care
- All ENT and Maxillofacial teams
used PPE including FFP3 facemasks, visors, and disposable hoods
- Median (interquartile range) day
to tracheostomy after intubation was 19 days (16-26.3). Median follow
up was 17.5 days (range 3-24).
- None of the healthcare workers
involved were clinically or PCR positive for COVID -19 in the
post-operative period
Keywords SARS-CoV-2, Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, Tracheostomy,
Mechanical Ventilation