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Maturation sutures for the paediatric tracheostomy – an extra safety measure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2006

M F Craig ,
Y Bajaj  and
B E J Hartley
M F Craig
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK
Y Bajaj
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK
B E J Hartley
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK
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Abstract

Objective: Displacement of the tracheostomy tube in paediatric patients is a potentially fatal complication. We describe an extra safety measure which facilitates tube replacement.

Setting: Tertiary referral specialist paediatric centre.

Materials and methods: The method involves the placement of sutures between the anterior tracheal wall and skin to hasten the formation of a mature stoma (maturation sutures). We also undertook a retrospective case note review on patients from an academic tertiary referral centre. Thirty-five notes were reviewed. The most common indication for tracheostomy was airway obstruction (65 per cent). Fourteen patients had early and 10 had late complications with three tube displacements occurring. No added complications due to the use of sutures were found.

Conclusions: Our complication rates compare well with those in the literature, and we recommend considering the use of such a technique.

Keywords

TracheostomyChildSurgical ProceduresOperative
Type
Brief Report
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 119 , Issue 12 , December 2005 , pp. 985 - 987
Copyright
© 2005 Royal Society of Medicine Press

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