2012 Volume 44 Issue 1 Pages 25-28
To investigate the survival rate and causes of death in patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities (SMIDs) that necessitated tracheotomy, we retrospectively analyzed 90 patients who underwent tracheotomy between 1990 and 2009. Indications for tracheotomy in these patients were upper airway obstruction (44 patients), recurrent aspiration pneumonia (28 patients), retained secretions (23 patients), prolonged mechanical ventilation (18 patients), chronic respiratory failure (9 patients), central respiratory failure (5 patients), and gastroesophageal reflux (8 patients). Most of the patients underwent tracheotomy at the age of 0-5 years or 10-19 years. As of April 1, 2010, 28 patients had died. The survival rate was 0.91 at 1 year, 0.74 at 5 years, 0.59 at 10 years, 0.54 at 15 years, and 0.40 at 19 years after tracheotomy. Massive tracheal bleeding due to development of tracheo-innominate artery fistulas occurred in 5 patients, and 4 of them died. They were thirteen years of age or older when they underwent tracheotomy, and developed fistulas after 2 weeks or later. In contrast, 7 patients at high risk for fistula formation, including those that had developed severe tracheomalacia associated with granulation or warning hemorrhages, underwent preventive resection of the innominate artery, and all of them had survived. It is important to regularly evaluate patients with SMIDs who have undergone tracheotomy by using bronchofiberscopy to identify risk factors for tracheo-innominate artery fistulas, a preventable cause of death.
