Fatal Cardiovascular and Respiratory Failure Associated with Tracheotomy

Abstract

THE performance of a tracheotomy is an established and valuable adjunct in the management of patients with inadequate pulmonary ventilation. Tracheotomies performed either prophylactically or therapeutically have repeatedly proved life saving in the correction of respiratory-tract obstructions due either to tracheal secretions or to soft-tissue obstructions of the upper airway. They have also proved of value as a means of decreasing ventilatory dead space in patients with inadequate tidal volumes. Despite these advantages of tracheotomy, the procedure carries a certain, although relatively slight, risk owing to complications that may be associated with the surgical procedure itself. The most frequently mentioned . . .