Tracheostomy tube placement is a therapeutic procedure that has gained increased favor over the past decade. Upper airway obstructions, failure to liberate from the ventilator, and debilitating neurological conditions are only a few indications for tracheostomy tube placement. Tracheostomy tubes can be placed either surgically or percutaneously. A percutaneous approach offers fewer surgical site infections and postsurgical bleeding than a surgical approach. A surgical placement posses a lower risk of injury to the posterior tracheal wall and spontaneous decannulation is less common. Late complications of both approaches include stenosis, malacia, along with tracheoesophageal, tracheoinnominate, and tracheocutaneous fistulas. This review describes the indications and methods of placement of tracheostomy tubes along with early and late complications that may occur following placement.

BACKGROUND: Ventilatory inefficiency increases ventilatory demand; corresponds to an abnormal increase in the ratio of minute ventilation (V E ) to CO 2 production (V CO 2 ); represents increased dead space, deregulation of respiratory control, and early lactic threshold; and is associated with expiratory flow limitation that enhances dynamic hyperinflation and may limit exercise capacity. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of ventilatory inefficiency over exercise capacity in COPD patients. METHODS: Prospective study of 35 COPD subjects with different levels of severity, in whom cardiopulmonary stress test was performed. Ventilatory inefficiency was represented by the V E /V CO 2 relation. Its influence over maximal oxygen consumption (V O 2 max), power (W), and ventilatory threshold was evaluated. Surrogate parameters of cardiac function, like oxygen pulse (V O 2 /heart rate) and circulatory power (%V O 2 max ؋ peak systolic pressure), were also evaluated. RESULTS: Cardiopulmonary stress test was stopped due to dyspnea with elevated V E and marked reduction of breathing reserve. A severe increase in V E /V CO 2 (mean ؎ SD 35.9 ؎ 5.6), a decrease of V O 2 max (mean ؎ SD 75.2 ؎ 20%), and a decrease of W (mean ؎ SD 68.6 ؎ 23.3%) were demonstrated. Twenty-eight patients presented dynamic hyperinflation. Linear regression showed a reduction of 2.04% on V O 2 max (P < .001), 2.6% on W (P < .001), 1% on V O 2 /heart rate (P ‫؍‬ .049), and 322.7 units on circulatory power (P ‫؍‬ .02) per each unit of increment in V E /V CO 2 , respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Ventilatory inefficiency correlates with a reduction in exercise capacity in COPD patients. Including this parameter in the evaluation of exercise limitation in this patient population may mean a contribution toward the understanding of its pathophysiology.

Dendriform pulmonary ossification is a rare condition often diagnosed by either surgery or postmortem examination. We report a 43-y-old man with a history of nonproductive cough for 1 y. His physical examination was unremarkable. Chest computed tomography showed multiple bilateral micronodules in both lower lobes; however, the patient's pulmonary function was normal. Flexible bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsies revealed branching ossification. Pulmonary ossification is a chronic process characterized by progressive metaplastic ossification. We reviewed a total of 42 cases of dendriform pulmonary ossification reported in the medical literature: most of these cases were diagnosed by autopsy. Despite its rarity, dendriform pulmonary ossification should be considered in the differential diagnosis of diffuse lung disease. Bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsies must be considered as a potential diagnostic procedure.

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