Tracheostomy in the COVID-19 era: global and multidisciplinary guidance.

ABSTRACT: Global health care is experiencing an unprecedented surge in the number of critically ill patients who require mechanical ventilation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The requirement for relatively long periods of ventilation in those who survive means that many are considered for tracheostomy to free patients from ventilatory support and maximise scarce resources. COVID-19 provides unique challenges for tracheostomy care: health-care workers need to safely undertake tracheostomy procedures and manage patients afterwards, minimising risks of nosocomial transmission and compromises in the quality of care. Conflicting recommendations exist about case selection, the timing and performance of tracheostomy, and the subsequent management of patients. In response, we convened an international workin

SUBMITTER: McGrath BA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7228735 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature