Percutaneous Tracheostomy in the Intensive Care Unit

Percutaneous tracheostomy (PT) has become an oftenly used procedure in critically ill patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation in recent years. The ideal timing and techniques of PT have been topics of considerable debate. In this review, we address general issues regarding PT (indications, contraindications, timing, preparation, techniques, complications) and specifically review the literatures regarding the comparison of techniques