Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2023 Aug 16;15(8):e43593.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.43593. eCollection 2023 Aug.

Fatal Acute Airway Obstruction During Bronchoscopy-Guided Percutaneous Tracheostomy: An Analysis of a New Complication

Shailja Kataria  1 , Diego Hanssen  1 , Mohammed Kassem  2 , Sandeep Kataria  3 , Daniel T Farkas  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Fatal Acute Airway Obstruction During Bronchoscopy-Guided Percutaneous Tracheostomy: An Analysis of a New Complication

Shailja Kataria et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Percutaneous tracheostomy (PT) is a commonly performed procedure in ICUs as a safe and cost-effective alternative to surgical tracheostomy (ST). Bronchoscopy is frequently used during PT for real-time confirmation of needle placement and tube positioning. We present a case of a 42-year-old female with a complex medical history who underwent PT and experienced acute airway loss due to endotracheal tube obstruction caused by accumulated secretions. To prevent such complications, vigilance regarding airway obstruction, cautious bronchoscope advancement, avoiding endotracheal tube puncture, and readiness to abort the procedure and replace the tube are crucial.

Keywords: bronchoscopy; loss of airway; obstructed endotracheal tube; percutaneous tracheostomy; thick secretions.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Thick coating of dried secretions causing obstruction at the distal end of removed endotracheal tube
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Percutaneous tracheostomy. Al-Shathri Z, Susanto I. Semin Respir Crit Care Med. 2018;39:720–730. - PubMed
    1. Tracheostomy in the intensive care unit: a nationwide survey. Kluge S, Baumann HJ, Maier C, Klose H, Meyer A, Nierhaus A, Kreymann G. Anesth Analg. 2008;107:1639–1643. - PubMed
    1. Evidence-based guidelines for the use of tracheostomy in critically ill patients. Raimondi N, Vial MR, Calleja J, et al. J Crit Care. 2017;38:304–318. - PubMed
    1. The role of routine FIBERoptic bronchoscopy monitoring during percutaneous dilatational TRACHeostomy (FIBERTRACH): a study protocol for a randomized, controlled clinical trial. Añón JM, Arellano MS, Pérez-Márquez M, et al. Trials. 2021;22:423. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Percutaneous and surgical tracheostomy in critically ill adult patients: a meta-analysis. Putensen C, Theuerkauf N, Guenther U, Vargas M, Pelosi P. Crit Care. 2014;18:544. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources