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Prolonged Intubation Versus Tracheostomy in the Adult

VAM & ROC Medicine (111), White River Junction, Vermont 05001

The development of mechanical ventilators that can en sure adequate respiration for long periods of time has led to the problem of determining how to best integrate patients into the machine's airflow circuits. Tracheal tubes with inflatable cuffs efficiently connect the patient to the machine, but the tubes may be placed in one of two ways. Each option has relative advantages and disad vantages. Translaryngeal intubation (TLI) can be per formed safety and quickly and is the preferred first step in airway management. However, when TLI is needed for prolonged periods, it may damage the larynx. Tra cheostomy, on the otherhand, has potential operative and tracheal complications, but presents little risk to the larynx and may be better tolerated by the patient requir ing long-term intubation. This review provides a histor ical background of these two methods and analyzes their respective advantages and complications. Guide lines for the optimal use of TLI and tracheostomy, par ticularly in adult patients requiring long-term intuba tion, are developed by comparing the risks and benefits of these two methods.

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