Performing Tracheostomy in Intensive Care Unit- A Challenge during COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

COVID-19 is a rapidly spreading infection caused by novel corona virus. It is challenging to the medical community in an unprecedented degree. Clinicians and health care workers are at added risk of infection during the procedure performing at the intensive critical care unit. Tracheostomy is a common surgical procedure performed at ICU for prolonged ventilation of the patient. Performing tracheostomy is currently a challenging for otolaryngologist at the ICU because of high chance of spreads of the virus to the surrounding health care workers and also to the other patients. The location for this procedure in ICU should be well ventilated after the procedure and the pressure in the room must be maintained negative or neutral. The health care personnel particularly Otolaryngologists have a central role for managing this situations where they are assessing the patients, preventing the contamination to other assisting staff and other patients. As there is progressive rise of the COVID-19 patients worldwide, it is surely expected that several patients may need intubation and mechanical ventilation. So, in this condition, patient my require tracheostomy for prolonged ventilation. Because of the very minimum literature available regarding tracheostomy in the COVID-19 pandemic, so this review article will surely increase awareness among health care personnel and surgical team for prevention of the transmission of the infection from tracheostomy to medical staffs and other patients.

Keywords

• COVID-19 pandemic
• tracheostomy
• intensive care unit
• aerosolization