An assessment of early tracheostomy after anterior cervical stabilization in patients with acute cervical spine trauma

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The optimal timing of tracheostomy after anterior cervical spine surgery remains controversial because of the potential for deep infection. The aims of this study were to compare the infection rates in patients requiring tracheostomy who underwent anterior versus posterior cervical spine surgery, and to report the timing of tracheostomy tube placement in such patients. METHOD: All patients admitted to a referral Intensive Care Unit for spinal trauma from January 1998 until May 2005, who underwent surgical stabilization with instrumentation and also received a tracheostomy, were retrospectively evaluated for demographic data, severity of neurologic injury, and complications includ..