Clinical trial NCT04744909: Navigation System for Percutaneous Tracheotomy
Official title: Navigation System for Percutaneous Tracheotomy
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Ventilation Therapy; Complications
Tracheostomy Complication
Keywords: Tracheotomy
tracheostomy
percutaneous dilatational tracheotomy
intensive care
Lead sponsor: Karolinska University Hospital
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2021-02-09
Enrollment: 48
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: We have studied a new technique for percutaneous tracheotomy. The instrument gives a three dimensional positioning of the puncture. The technique is used on patients on ENT surgery and intensiv care.

Detailed description: Percutaneous tracheotomy is a well-established method. Anatomical landmarks need to be identified. We introduce a new method that increases precision through three-dimensional navigation with a new instrument - SafeTrach.

SafeTrach is a pliers-like instrument. The inner shank acts as a ventilation tube while stabilizing the orotracheal tube in the trachea. The outer shank acts as a three-dimensional control instrument for the puncture needle.

We determined the puncture level in 20 patients using SafeTrach. We found that the distance from the vocal cords to the puncture site was about 45 mm for men and 42 mm for women. This was based on intraoperative measurements. In 13 patients, we studied the distance between the vocal cords and the optimal puncture site between the 2nd and 3rd tracheal ring with CT and found that the mean distance for men was 49.8 mm and for women 42.2 mm. We have used internal measurements in another 12 patients as follows: The orotracheal tube is positioned so that the proximal part of the cuff is just below the vocal cords. 2. The position of the tube is measured against the front teeth. 3. The orotracheal tube together with the inner shank is pulled up about 15 mm for both men and women. This means that part of the cuff lies between the vocal cords and you get an acceptable placement of the puncture needle.

By using SafeTrach you can use internal landmarks to indicate the puncture level. The positioning of the leg is done with high precision because SafeTrach acts as a stable guide. The navigation system minimizes the risk of extubation and damage to the posterior tracheal wall.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients age \>18 years old
* Patients requiring PDT for prolonged mechanical ventilation, airway protection or weaning failure

Exclusion Criteria:

* Pediatric patients
* Emergency tracheotomies
* Anatomical abnormalities due to hematoma/tumor/scarring from previous neck surgery/thyromegaly/unstable C-spine and difficult local anatomy. (Patients with obesity are not considered to be a hindrance for the SafeTrach technique as the location for puncture easily can be decided with help of the outer and inner shanks).
* Contra indication for re-intubation (suspected loss of airway during re-intubation)
* Coagulation abnormalities - INR\>1.5, PTT \>40, thrombocyte count \<50.000

Primary outcomes:
measure: Navigation System for Percutaneous Tracheotomy
timeFrame: 30 minutes
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Stockholm
country: Sweden
facility: Karolinska University Hospital
state: Solna
Study officials:
affiliation: Karolinska Institutet
name: Jonas Karling, Ph.D
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: