Tracheostomy Complications

The immediate complications of tracheostomy are -

1. Haemorrhage - Bleeding can occur from anterior thyroid vein which can be easily avoided. Secondly bleeding can be from isthmus of thyroid.
2. Apnoea - Apnoea can occur on opening the trachea due to sudden wash out of carbon dioxide from lungs which causes loss of respiratory drive. In such cases a mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide which is called carbogen is given for inhailation.
3. There can be injury to pleural apices, recurrent laryngeal nerve,oesophagus.