Clinical significance of differentiating post‐intubation and post‐tracheostomy tracheal stenosis

• DOI: 10.1111/resp.12925
• Publication Date: 2016-10-21T05:56:48Z
• Authors: Beomsu Shin; Kang Kim; Byeong‐Ho Jeong; Jung Seop Eom; Won Jun Song; Hyung Koo Kang; Hojoong Kim
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Health Status; Silicones; Middle Aged; Severity of Illness Index; 3. Good health; Body Mass Index; Trachea; 03 medical and health sciences; Tracheostomy; Treatment Outcome; 0302 clinical medicine; Bronchoscopy; Intubation, Intratracheal; Humans; Female; Stents; Tracheal Stenosis; Device Removal; Aged; Retrospective Studies

ABSTRACT Background and objectivePost‐intubation tracheal stenosis (PITS) and post‐tracheostomy tracheal stenosis (PTTS) are serious complications in mechanically ventilated patients. Although the aetiologies and mechanisms of PITS and PTTS are quite different, little is known about the clinical impact of differentiating one from the other.MethodsWe retrospectively conducted a chart review of 117 patients with PITS and 88 patients with PTTS who were treated with interventional bronchoscopy at Samsung Medical Center between January 2004 and December 2013.ResultsCompared to patients with PITS, patients with PTTS had a lower BMI, poorer performance status and more frequent neurological aetiologies, mid‐to‐lower tracheal lesions, total obstruction and mixed stenosis types. Although there were no differences in the number of patients who received silicone stents between the two groups, Montgomery T‐tubes were more frequently used in the PTTS group than in the PITS group. The final success rate without surgery, mortality or tracheostomy in situ was higher in the PITS group than in the PTTS group (76.9% vs 63.6%, P = 0.043). Additionally, airway prosthesis removal was achieved in 46.2% of patients in the PITS group and in 33.0% of the PTTS group (P = 0.063).ConclusionThere were significant differences between PITS and PTTS in terms of patient and stenosis characteristics, treatment modalities and clinical outcomes. Therefore, PITS and PTTS should be considered two different entities.