Revisión sobre las evidencias para la valoración de la traqueotomía durante la pandemia de COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic evolves day by day, and more countries and people are infected worldwide. There is no wellestablished treatment, but clinical trials for a vaccine have recently been started. Infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus has a high rate of human-to-human transmissibility, causing the number of cases to be very high. In the same way, the number of patients who develop the disease in its severe form and, therefore, require hospitalization and ventilatory support has exceeded the health systems in some countries. Patients who require mechanical ventilation generally have prolonged stays in the ICU, and in many, a tracheostomy is necessary. Currently, there are no evidence-based guidelines for this procedure, only recommendations and consensus documents from different medical societies. We review the main national and international guidelines and document the consensus on some relevant aspects to reduce the risk that this procedure implies for health staff. LUXMÉDICA, AÑO 15, NÚMERO 44, MAYO-AGOSTO 2020, PP 33-37.