A Prospective Study on Postintubation Laryngotracheal Status in Children during Tracheostomy in a Tertiary Care Center

Background: Laryngeal injuries following endotracheal (ET) intubation are caused by trauma during intubation and later by constant pressure of the ET tube on the airway mucosa.Early evaluation helps anticipate impending complications at the earliest.Objective: The pediatric airway is more prone to intubation injuries.This study focuses on evaluating laryngeal injuries following intubation and their causes.Materials and methods: This prospective study includes 30 patients admitted to the PICU and undergoing tracheostomy for prolonged intubation in a tertiary care center from October 2022 to September 2023.Post-tracheostomy, laryngotracheobronchoscopy was done to evaluate for airway injuries caused by the ET tube.Results: Glottic injuries were found to be associated with prolonged duration of intubation and with the use of oversized ET tubes.Whereas, there was no statistical association of postintubation trauma with multiple intubation attempts, use of cuff/uncuff ET tube, or the primary cause of intubation.Conclusion: Identifying postintubation laryngotracheal trauma and its early management will prevent complications like postintubation stenosis and aid in early decannulation, which in turn lessens the hospital stay.