Percutaneous Dilatational Tracheostomy

Tracheostomy, once thought of as a procedure with tremendous morbidity and mortality and only utilized in lifesaving circumstances, is now a routinely performed procedure in the intensive care unit. Indicated for patients with prolonged mechanical ventilator support, percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy can facilitate more aggressive ventilator weaning as well as liberate patients with poor airway control from mechanical ventilation. Since critically ill patients are maintained on mechanical ventilation for longer periods of time, the need for tracheostomy has grown and the development of the percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) technique has revolutionized the procedure.