Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy – a comparison of three methods: Ciaglia Blue Rhino, PercuTwist and Griggs' Guidewire Dilation Forceps (GWDF)

In contrast to conventional surgical tracheostomy, percutaneous dilational tracheostomy (PDT) in different variants is spreading rapidly in intensive care units today. On two intensive care units – cardiological and surgical–anaesthesiological – we performed a comparative investigation of three PDT methods in a prospective randomized study with an emphasis on clinical utility and safety.