Effects of Tracheal Intubation on Ventilation With a Laryngeal Mask During Percutaneous Dilatation Tracheostomy

Percutaneous tracheostomy is routinely performed while patients are being ventilated with a laryngeal mask. The efficacy of ventilation during tracheostomy may be affected by length of previous endotracheal intubation.

This is an observational and monocentric study aimed to evaluate the impact of length of endotracheal intubation on efficacy of lung ventilation with a laryngeal mask. Two groups of patients who have to undergo elective percutaneous tracheostomy after either a short or long endotracheal intubation will be enrolled.

Data on the correlational effects of the endotracheal tube on the integrity of laryngeal structures and on ventilation will be collected.

Statistical analyses will use standard tests to compare the two groups of patients.