TRACHEOSTOMY ANAESTHESIA TUTORIAL OF ... - Anaesthesia UK

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Sign up to receive ATOTW weekly - email worldanaesthesia@mac.comPercutaneous Tracheostomy Insertion – basic principles1. Contraindications for percutaneous tracheostomy are reviewed (see below).2. Consent should be obtained where possible – patients will frequently not be in a position to give consent.While the issue may be discussed with next of kin, the decision to proceed is made in the patient’s bestinterests.3. Platelet and coagulation assays are checked and the patient’s blood should be ‘group and saved’ as bleedingmay be a complication of this procedure. Intensive Care Society (UK) guidance recommends the use of apre-procedure ultrasound to confirm the absence of large blood vessels directly over the planned site ofinsertion.4. Nasogastric tube feeding should be stopped for at least two hours and the nasogastric tube should beaspirated to reduce any chance of aspiration of gastric contents.5. Equipment is assembled. This will include the percutaneous tracheostomy set, equipment for emergency reintubation,a fibreoptic bronchoscope, drapes and sterile skin preparation and a local anaesthetic solutioncontaining a vasocontrictor such as 1% lidocaine with 1:200 000 epinephrine.6. The procedure requires two clinicians – one to operate the bronchoscope and one to perform thetracheostomy insertion – and assistance from a member of nursing staff familiar with the procedure and theenvironment to assist with the management of complications.7. Sedation, analgesia and muscle relaxation need to be administered, common examples being propofol,fentanyl and atracurium.8. The patient is positioned in a way that allows the neck to be extended. This can be achieved by usingpillows or towels placed behind their shoulders. The patient should be fully monitored and ventilated with100% oxygen during the procedure.9. The cuff of the patient’s endotracheal tube is deflated and the tube is withdrawn under direct vision until thetip is just distal to the patient’s vocal cords. This removes the endotracheal tube from the operative site.Alternatively, the tube may be exchanged for a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) providing that the patient canbe ventilated safely using the device. This may not be the case in patients requiring higher a FiO 2 , highlevels of PEEP or high inspiratory airway pressures.10. The patient’s anatomy should be marked, including the intended level of insertion of the tracheostomy. Therecommended level is between the second and third tracheal rings but should be adapted to the patient’sanatomy. Insertion near the cricoid cartilage and first tracheal ring is thought to increase the risk ofsubsequent tracheal stenosis whilst insertion at too low a level increases the risk of erosion of thoracic inletgreat vessels.11. A full aseptic technique should be used including the use of gown, gloves, hat, and mask and eye protection.The patient’s skin should be prepared with an appropriate antiseptic cleaning solution and the operatorshould check the open kit.12. Following infiltration with the local anaesthetic and vasoconstrictor solution, a small transverse skin incisionis made followed by blunt dissection with forceps until the tracheal rings are felt. Cannulation of the tracheacan then be performed using the 14G needle and cannula provided in the kit. This may be confirmed by theability to aspirate air through the needle but presence of the cannula in the trachea must be confirmedvisually via the bronchoscope before proceeding further.13. These next steps should all be performed under direct vision via the bronchoscope. The guidewire is passedinto the trachea where it should be able to move freely through the cannula. Depending upon the kit beingused, there may be an intermediate rigid dilator, which is passed over the guidewire. Next, the curved dilatoris passed over the guidewire, into the trachea, as far as the thick black line, in one smooth movement. Anexample of a curved dilator is the Blue Rhino (Cook Medical). Such dilators are coated in a lubricant that isactivated by contact with saline or sterile water.14. The curved dilator is then removed and the tracheostomy tube, complete with introducer, is then insertedinto the trachea over the guidewire.15. The introducer is removed, the tube cuff is inflated and the ventilation circuit is connected. Confirmation ofcorrect placement is achieved by assessment of chest movement, auscultation and the use of capnography.16. The tracheostomy is secured using the supplied tapes and the procedure is documented in the notes.17. After the procedure, a chest X-ray is performed to exclude pneumothoraces. Ventilation settings can bereturned to pre-operative values as soon as sedation and neuromuscular blockade allows.ATOTW 241 – Tracheostomy 17/10/2011 Page 4 of 12
Sign up to receive ATOTW weekly - email worldanaesthesia@mac.comCAUTIONS AND RELATIVE CONTRAINDICATIONS FORPERCUTANEOUS TRACHEOSTOMY 8• Emergency airway access• Difficult anatomy• Morbid obesity with short neck• Limited neck movement• Cervical spine injury – suspected or otherwise• Aberrant blood vessels• Thyroid or tracheal pathology• Moderate coagulopathy• Prothrombin time or activated partial thromboplastin time greater than 1.5 time thereference range• Platelet count less than 50000 / mcl• Significant gas exchange problems: e.g. PEEP > 10 cm H 2 O or FiO 2 greater than 0.6• Evidence of infection in the soft tissues of the neck at the insertion site• Age less than 12 years.Needless to say, these relative contraindications are subject to the experience and clinical judgement ofthe operator and are not set in stone.CARE OF THE TRACHEOSTOMYChanging tracheostomy tubesWhilst changing a tracheostomy tube can be hazardous, failing to change one when required alsocarries risks. Guidance from the Intensive Care Society points out that recommendation regarding thetiming of tube changes is inconsistent and not evidence based. 8It is recommended that tracheostomies without inner tubes be changed every 7-14 days, with thefrequency decreasing as the stoma becomes better-formed and pulmonary secretions decrease. EECguidance, from 1993, states that tracheostomies with inner tubes may be left in place for up to thirtydays.The first change should not occur within 72 hours of the tracheostomy being sited and ideally not for 7days after a percutaneous insertion. This is to allow for the formation of a more reliable ‘track’ for thenew tube to pass through. Emergency airway equipment, including a smaller tracheostomy tube, andemergency drugs should be immediately available during the change.The tracheostomy tube may be changed over a soft suction or airway exchange catheter or soft tippedRyle’s tube. The use of a rigid gum-elastic bougie for this purpose may increase the risk of creating afalse passage (i.e. the new tracheostomy comes to lie next to rather than within the trachea). If a softtipped Ryle’s tube or similar is used, it may be reassuring to see fogging within that tube withrespiration. This will help to confirm that the exchange tube is in the airway and not in a false passageprior to passing the new tracheostomy tube. Alternatively, the track may be gently dilated with agloved little finger.There should be a low threshold for suspicion of erroneous placement if it is difficult to ventilate thepatient. If difficulty is encountered in replacing the tracheostomy tube, the clinical need for a tube mustbe re-assessed. If in doubt, re-intubation with an oral endotracheal tube may be required.HumidificationCold and unfiltered air is an irritant when inhaled and can lead to increased production and viscosity ofsecretions. This can be uncomfortable for the patient as well as causing tracheal mucosal keratinisation.ATOTW 241 – Tracheostomy 17/10/2011 Page 5 of 12
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