Percutaneous tracheostomy is routinely performed while patients are being ventilated with a laryngeal mask. The efficacy of ventilation during tracheostomy may be affected by length of previous endotracheal intubation.~This is an observational and monocentric study aimed to evaluate the impact of length of endotracheal intubation on efficacy of lung ventilation with a laryngeal mask. Two groups of patients who have to undergo elective percutaneous tracheostomy after either a short or long endotracheal intubation will be enrolled.~Data on the correlational effects of the endotracheal tube on the integrity of laryngeal structures and on ventilation will be collected.~Statistical analyses will use standard tests to compare the two groups of patients.
The length of tracheal intubation may affect the subsequent ventilation with a laryngeal mask during percutaneous tracheostomy.