Background Diagnosis, age, and maturity at birth and the indication for tracheostomy affect
the likelihood of decannulation in children and neonates after tracheostomy.
Material and Methods The medical records of 106 children and neonates (age 0–18 years) tracheostomized
between January 1, 1999, and January 1, 2019, were reviewed, and questionnaires were
sent out. The indication for tracheostomy was divided into three different groups:
unsafe airway, long-term respiratory dependence, or bronchopulmonary toilet. Time-dependent
decannulation rates were estimated according to the Kaplan-Meier method.
Results 40 patients (37.7%) were successfully decannulated. The time-dependent decannulation
rate after two years was 28.3% for patients tracheostomized for an unsafe airway,
42.4% for patients with long-term respiratory dependence, and 41.7% for patients needing
a bronchopulmonary toilet. After two years, patients aged 0–12 months at the time
of tracheostomy were decannulated in 13.1% of cases, 1–5-year-olds in 35.3% of cases,
6–10-year-olds in 70.0% of cases, and 11–18-year-olds in 66.6% of cases. Premature
infants were decannulated less frequently (16.2% after two years) compared with mature
infants (40.1%).
Conclusions Factors indicating problems with decannulation are an unsafe airway, a young age
at the time of tracheostomy, and prematurity.
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