Protocol for percutaneous tracheostomy and prevention of COVID-19 transmission

INTRODUCTION: Currently we are faced with countless patients with prolonged invasive mechanical ventilation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the consequent increase in the need for tracheostomies and the risks that this includes for both patients and staff. Objective: It is necessary to establish a safety protocol for the performance of percutaneous tracheostomies in order to reduce the associated infections. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 77 patients underwent tracheostomies between March 2020 and March 2021, evaluating the safety of the protocol and the rate of contagion among the staff. RESULTS: Percutaneous tracheostomy was performed according to the protocol in 72 patients, 5 were excluded due to unfavorable anatomy or other reasons. There were no cases of SARS COVID-19 contagion among health personnel attributable to the procedure during the three-week follow-up period. There were no surgical complications in this series. CONCLUSION: The authors recommend implementing security protocols such as the one discussed in this work, given its low contagion rate and ease of implementation.