Tracheotomies: a 10-year experience in 319 children.

A retrospective analysis was made of 319 patients having tracheotomies at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto between 1976 and 1985. In comparison to a similar study at the same institution completed 15 years earlier, the average number of tracheotomies per year has declined by half, because almost no tracheotomies are now done in patients with epiglottitis and tracheitis. Tracheotomies for children with CNS disorders and craniofacial anomalies are relatively more frequent. The average duration of tracheotomy is almost 1 year (339 days). Complications occurred in 30% of patients, but tracheotomy-related mortality was less than 1%.