A total of 33 children with tracheostomy were observed after admission in Severance Hospital during the past 10 years and 3 months from January 1958 to Mz,.ch 1973.
1. Sex incidence was 20male to 13female, and complications occured in 17 cases.
The age and complication rate relationship showed that about 70% of the patients were under 5 years old. The complication rate was 83%1 under 1 year of age and between the age of 1 and 5 years, the complication rate was 59%.
3. The most common indication for tracheostomy was laryngotracheobrcnchitis, followed by acute diphtheric laryngitis and epiglottitis.
4. The most frequent complication, delayed decannulation occured in 5950o of the cases followed by tracheal stenosis and pneumothorax in that order.
5. The complication rate was directel,- proportioned to the duration of time prior to removal of the cannule. No complication occured when the cannule was removed within 3 days, whereas 15 cases sustained complications after 7 days.
6. Among 17 cases of complications death occured in 7 cases including 5 cases due to serious primary disease rather than the tracheostomy itself.
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