Tracheotomy in the preterm infant.

Over the last decade, prolonged survival of preterm infants (gestation less than or equal to 36 weeks) who require lengthy periods of mechanical ventilation has necessitated that many of these infants undergo tracheotomy. The complication rate for tracheotomy in these preterm infants has not been reported. We compared 83 full-term (FT) infants who underwent tracheotomy in their first year of life with 41 preterm infants. Twenty-three preterm infants had birth weight greater than or equal to 1,500 g (PT), and 18 of the preterm infants had gestational age less than or equal to 32 weeks and birth weight less than or equal to 1,500 g (PT-VLBW). Early complications (day 0 to 7) occurred in over 50% of the PT-VLBW compared to only 24% of the FT infants. Late complication rates were similar for all three groups. This higher early complication rate for PT-VLBW infants may be related to gestational age, low birth weight, and medical condition rather than surgical technique.