Practical procedures

This chapter assesses the practical procedures in surgery. It begins with airway procedures, including the anaesthesia face mask, laryngeal mask airway (LMA), and endotracheal intubation. It also looks at percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) and cricothyroidotomy, before differentiating between non-invasive and invasive ventilation. The chapter then turns to circulation procedures, including venepuncture and intravenous cannulation; interosseous access; central venous cannulation; arterial puncture and arterial cannulation; cardioversion; and defibrillation. It also considers the insertion and management of chest drain, which is used to drain pneumothoraces or pleural effusions. Finally, the chapter deals with pericardiocentesis; nasogastric tube insertion; urethral and suprapubic catheterisation; abdominal paracentesis; rigid sigmoidoscopy; and local and regional anaesthesia.

Comparative effectiveness of ultrasound-guided and anatomic landmark percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Ultrasound-guided tracheostomy (UGT) and bronchoscope-guided tracheostomy (BGT) have been well compared. However, the differences in benefits between UGT and landmark tracheostomy (LT) have not been addressed and, in particular, lack a detailed meta-analysis. We aimed to compare the first-pass success, complication rate, major bleeding rate, and tracheostomy procedure time between UGT and LT. Methods In a systematic review, relevant databases were searched for studies comparing UGT with LT in intubated patients. The primary outcome was the odds ratio (OR) of first-pass success. The secondary outcomes were the OR of complications, OR of major bleeding, and standardized mean difference (SMD) of the total tracheostomy procedure time. Results The meta-analysis included three randomized controlled studies (RCTs) and one nonrandomized controlled study (NRS), comprising 474 patients in total. Compared with LT, UGT increased first-pass success (OR: 4.287; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.308 to 7.964) and decreased complications (OR: 0.422; 95% CI: 0.249 to 0.718). However, compared with LT, UGT did not significantly reduce major bleeding (OR: 0.374; 95% CI: 0.112 to 1.251) or the total tracheostomy placement time (SMD: -0.335; 95% CI: -0.842 to 0.172). Conclusions Compared with LT, real-time UGT increases first-pass success and decreases complications. However, UGT was not associated with a significant reduction in the major bleeding rate. The total tracheostomy placement time comparison between UGI and LT was inconclusive.

Early Percutaneous Dilatational Tracheostomy pada Pasien COVID-19 dengan Gagal Napas: Laporan Kasus

Latar belakang: Pasien kritis dengan infeksi coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) memiliki kecenderungan untuk perawatan ventilasi mekanik dalam waktu yang lama. Perawatan dengan translaryngeal intubasi dalam waktu lama beserta penggunaan sedasi dan tindakan lainnya di intensive care unit (ICU) dapat memunculkan beberapa komplikasi lebih lanjut.Kasus: Pasien perempuan pascaoperasi sectio caesaria dengan gagal napas akibat infeksi COVID-19. Pasien mendapat support high flow nasal canule (HFNC) di awal perawatan di ICU. 4 hari perawatan, kondisi distress napas pasien memberat dan dilakukan intubasi translaryngeal. Dari evaluasi kondisi pasien selama 4 hari perawatan dengan ventilasi mekanik, tim ICU memutuskan melakukan tracheostomy melalui pendekatan dilatasi perkutan. Prosedur dilakukan di ruang bertekanan negatif dengan penggunaan alat pelindung diri (APD) level 3. Kondisi pasien berangsur mengalami perbaikan selama 7 hari perawatan dengan tracheostomy. Support ventilasi yang minimal, kebutuhan fraksi oksigen yg menurun dan perbaikan kondisi umum menjadi pertimbangan dilakukan dekanulasi. 3 hari pasca dekanulasi pasien dipindah rawat ke ruangan dengan kondisi stabil.Selama perawatan di ICU, pasien mendapat standar terapi berupa antiviral, antibiotik, antikoagulan, analgesik, steroid, dan obat penunjang lainnya.Pembahasan: Tindakan tracheostomy berhubungan dengan insiden pneumonia yang lebih rendah, penurunan penggunaan obat sedasi dan percepatan masa lepas rawat dari ventilasi mekanik. Early tracheostomy dilakukan sebelum hari ke-10 intubasi. Teknik dilatasi perkutan memiliki kelebihan atas efektifitas dan efisiensi biaya dan alat pendukung. Tindakan percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) pada pasien COVID-19 harus dilakukan dengan proteksi tenaga medis yang optimal.Kesimpulan: Early tracheostomy dapat dipertimbangkan dalam tatalaksana pasien kritis COVID-19. Penilaian kondisi klinis pasien dan proteksi tenaga medis merupakan faktor utama menentukan tindakan early tracheostomy pada pasien COVID-19.

Clinical Value of Bronchoscopy in Acute Respiratory Failure

Bronchoscopy may be considered the “added value” in the diagnostic and therapeutic pathway of different clinical scenarios occurring in acute respiratory critically ill patients. Rigid bronchoscopy is mainly employed in emergent clinical situations due to central airways obstruction, haemoptysis, and inhaled foreign body. Flexible bronchoscopy (FBO) has larger fields of acute applications. In intensive care settings, FBO is useful to facilitate intubation in difficult airways, guide percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy, and mucous plugs causing lobar/lung atelectasis. FBO plays a central diagnostic role in acute respiratory failure caused by intra-thoracic tumors, interstitial lung diseases, and suspected severe pneumonia. “Bronchoscopic” sampling has to be considered when “non-invasive” techniques are not diagnostic in suspected ventilator-associated pneumonia and in non-ventilated immunosuppressed patients. The combined use of either noninvasive ventilation (NIV) or High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) with bronchoscopy is useful in different scenarios; the largest body of proven successful evidence has been found for NIV-supported diagnostic FBO in non-ventilated high risk patients to prevent and avoid intubation. The expected diagnostic/therapeutic goals of acute bronchoscopy should be balanced against the potential severe risks (i.e., cardio-pulmonary complications, bleeding, and pneumothorax). Expertise of the team is fundamental to achieve the best rate of success with the lowest rate of complications of diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopic procedures in acute clinical circumstances.

The role of routine FIBERoptic bronchoscopy monitoring during percutaneous dilatational TRACHeostomy (FIBERTRACH): a study protocol for a randomized, controlled clinical trial

Background Tracheostomy is one of the most frequent techniques in intensive care units (ICU). Fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FB) is a safety measure when performing a percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT), but the controversy surrounding the routine use of FB as part of the procedure remains open. National surveys in some European countries showed that the use of FB is non-standardized. Retrospective studies have not shown a significant difference in complications between procedures performed with or without a bronchoscope. International guidelines have not been able to establish recommendations regarding the use of FB in PDT due to lack of evidence. Design This is a multicenter (three centers at the time of publishing this paper) randomized controlled clinical trial to examine the safety of percutaneous tracheostomy using FB. We will include all consecutive adult patients admitted to the ICU in whom percutaneous tracheostomy for prolonged mechanical ventilation is indicated and with no exclusion criteria for using FB. Eligible patients will be randomly assigned to receive blind PDT or PDT under endoscopic guidance. All procedures will be performed by experienced intensivists in PDT and FB. A Data Safety and Monitoring Board (DSMB) will monitor the trial. The primary outcome is the incidence of perioperative complications. Discussion FB is a safe technique when performing PDT although its use is not universally accepted in all ICUs as a routine practice. Should PDT be monitored routinely with endoscopic guidance? This study will assess the role of FB monitoring during PDT. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04265625. Registered on February 11, 2020

The role of routine FIBERoptic bronchoscopy monitoring during percutaneous dilatational TRACHeostomy (FIBERTRACH). A study protocol for a randomized, controlled clinical trial

Background Tracheostomy is one of the most frequent techniques in Intensive Care Units (ICU). Fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FB) is a safety measure when performing a percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) but the controversy surrounding the routine use of FB as part of the procedure remains open. National surveys in some European countries showed that the use of FB is non-standardized. Retrospective studies have not shown a significant difference in complications between procedures performed with or without a bronchoscope. International guidelines have not been able to establish recommendations regarding the use of FB in PDT due to lack of evidence. Design: This is a multicenter (two centres at the time of writing this manuscript), randomized, controlled clinical trial to examine the safety of percutaneous tracheostomy using FB. We will include all consecutive adult patients admitted to the ICU in whom percutaneous tracheostomy for prolonged mechanical ventilation is indicated and with no exclusion criteria for using FB. Eligible patients will be randomly assigned to receive blind PDT or PDT under endoscopic guidance. All procedures will be performed by experienced intensivists in PDT and FB. A Data Safety and Monitoring Board (DSMB) will monitor the trial. The primary outcome is the incidence of perioperative complications. Discussion FB is a safe technique when performing PDT although its use is not universally accepted in all ICUs as routine practice. Should PDT be monitored routinely with endoscopic guidance?. This study will assess the role of FB monitoring during PDT. Trial registration: Registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04265625) on 11th February 2020 (retrospectively registered).