ABSTRACT

Objective: To compare short-term complications in elective and emergency tracheostomy.
Study Design: Comparative cross sectional
Place Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Department of ENT, Head and Neck Surgery at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Peshawar from 21^th October 2018 to 20^th October 2019.
Materials and Methods: In this study 60 patients undergoing tracheostomy were included. Patients were divided into two groups, each with 30 participants. Patients in group A had elective whereas group B had emergency tracheostomy. Short term complications including hemorrhage, surgical emphysema, cardiac arrest and stomal infection were noted in both groups. Chi-square test was applied as test of significance to compare the two groups.
Results: Emergency tracheostomy is associated with significantly increased risk of hemorrhage and surgical emphysema (p value being <0.05. There was no statistical difference in occurrence of stomal infection and cardiac arrest between the two groups.
Conclusion: Tracheostomy performed in emergency is fraught with complications. Our study validates the fact that emergency tracheostomy is associated with significantly increased risk of postoperative hemorrhage and surgical emphysema.

Key Words: Cardiac Arrest, Hemorrhage, Stomal Infection, Surgical Emphysema, Tracheostomy.

How to cite this: Hassan Z, Akbar F, Maka TA.  Short-Term Complications of Emergency and Elective Tracheostomy; A Comparative Study. Life and Science. 2021; 2(2): 52-56 .  doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.117