Accidental Tracheostomy Decannulation — NUEM Blog

Introduction Tracheostomy is a common procedure in the US with over 110,000 trachs placed annually (1). Complications occur at a rate of approximately 40-50%, however most complications are minor, with only 1% being catastrophic (1). Of these devastating complications, 90% occur within the first 10 days of placement. Overall approximately 15% of tracheostomies will be decannulated accidentally, and in a critical care setting, 50% of airway related deaths were associated with accidental...