Table 2

Diagnoses of infants and children undergoing tracheotomy, Kids' Inpatient Database 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2006*

Year
Characteristic1997200020032006p Value
Total number of tracheotomy operations43224511450247510.7
Neuromuscular impairment1593 (36.9%)1795 (39.8%)1876 (41.7%)2204 (46.4%)<0.01
 Epilepsy644 (14.9%)782 (17.3%)822 (18.3%)953 (20.1%)
 Cerebral palsy629 (14.5%)523 (11.6%)583 (13.0%)638 (13.4%)
 Brain or spinal cord malformation282 (6.5%)319 (7.1%)312 (6.9%)349 (7.4%)
 Hydrocephalus234 (5.4%)236 (5.2%)275 (6.1%)308 (6.5%)
 Central nervous system infection116 (2.7%)97 (2.1%)99 (2.2%)169 (3.5%)
 Muscular dystrophy or myopathy104 (2.4%)112 (2.5%)122 (2.7%)104 (2.2%)
Chronic lung disease1378 (31.9%)1635 (36.2%)1988 (44.2%)2108 (44.3%)<0.01
 Arising in the neonatal period543 (12.7%)723 (16.0%)1045 (23.2%)1121 (23.6%)
 Chronic respiratory failure678 (15.7%)708 (15.7%)753 (16.7%)722 (15.1%)
 Respiratory congenital anomalies99 (2.3%)142 (3.2%)132 (2.9%)148 (3.1%)
 Cystic fibrosis, other pulmonary fibrosis47 (1.2%)42 (1.0%)35 (0.8%)92 (2.0%)
 Diaphragm paralysis11 (0.3%)14 (0.3%)27 (0.6%)25 (0.5%)
Trauma1264 (29.2%)1296 (28.7%)1138 (25.3%)1194 (25.1%)<0.01
 Skull fracture or intracranial injury876 (20.2%)895 (19.9%)804 (17.9%)816 (17.1%)
 Cervical injury215 (5.0%)243 (5.4%)286 (6.4%)362 (7.6%)
 Other head and neck injury173 (4.0%)158 (3.5%)48 (1.1%)16 (<0.1%)
Upper airway anomaly1171 (27.1%)1280 (28.3%)1237 (27.4%)1308 (27.6%)>0.1
 Atresia, agenesis or other anomaly of the larynx or trachea490 (11.3%)539 (11.9%)572 (12.7%)580 (12.2%)
 Laryngeal stenosis357 (8.2%)372 (8.2%)364 (8.1%)332 (7.0%)
 Vocal cord paralysis or dysfunction220 (5.1%)216 (4.8%)194 (4.3%)290 (6.1%)
 Choanal atresia66 (1.5%)59 (1.3%)35 (0.8%)52 (1.1%)
 Cervical haemangioma, lymphangioma57 (1.3%)100 (2.2%)68 (1.5%)54 (1.1%)
Congenital heart disease441 (10.2%)600 (13.2%)717 (15.9%)883 (18.6%)<0.01
 Atrial or ventricular septal defect185 (4.3%)250 (5.5%)204 (4.5%)241 (5.1%)
 Patent ductus arteriosus131 (3.0%)188 (4.2%)194 (4.3%)294 (6.2%)
 Single ventricle, tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of great arteries, truncus arteriosus100 (2.3%)101 (2.2%)139 (3.1%)143 (3.0%)
 Aorta, pulmonary artery or pulmonary vein anomaly63 (1.5%)65 (1.5%)68 (1.6%)88 (2.0%)
 Aortic, pulmonary, mitral or trileptal valve anomaly40 (0.9%)87 (1.9%)122 (2.7%)160 (3.4%)
Upper airway infection393 (9.0%)317 (7.0%)346 (7.7%)411 (8.6%)>0.1
 Tracheitis243 (5.6%)229 (5.1%)251 (5.6%)333 (7.0%)
 Laryngeal, tonsil or other upper respiratory infection122 (2.8%)68 (1.5%)54 (1.2%)48 (1.0%)
 Epiglottitis or laryngotracheitis28 (0.7%)19 (0.4%)36 (0.8%)28 (0.6%)
Prematurity (<36 weeks' gestation)311 (7.2%)494 (10.9%)521 (11.6%)606 (12.8%)<0.01
Other389 (9.0%)339 (7.5%)318 (7.1%)304 (6.4%)<0.01
  • * No and % of total tracheotomy operations are displayed.

  • p Value represents a trend over time for each characteristic category.

  • Includes bronchopulmonary dysplasia, hyaline membrane disease, interstitial pulmonary fibrosis of prematurity and idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn.