Clinical indications and Late Complications Among Adult Patients Done Tracheostomy at Bugando Medical Centre Tanzania

Background Tracheostomy is one of the surgical procedure developed in early times of civilization. Since then it has remain as one of the lifesaving surgical procedure worldwide. In Bugando Mwanza the referral and teaching hospital two studies has been done about tracheostomy but the details of the late complication is not well established also the clinical indications varies in both studies. Therefore these study will enlightening more on the clinical indications and give details on the late complications that results due to tracheostomy. Methods: This was 4 years and 2 months retrospective study; conducted at Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck department at Bugando Medical Centre from November 2019 to December 2023. Data were retrieved from patients’ files kept in medical record department and analyzed using SPSS. Results: One hundred and ninety patients had tracheostomy during the study period. Among them, one hundred and eight patients (56.8%) were male, and eighty-two (43.2%) were female. Their ages ranged from 18 years to 91 years with the mean age of 51.55 (SD 17.97) years. The majority of the patients were above 60 years (72%). The most common indication of tracheostomy was upper airway obstruction secondary to tumor accounting 59.5%, followed by respiratory failure accounting 24.7%, followed by upper airway obstruction due to traumatic causes and COPD which each accounted for 7.9%. The majority of tracheostomies (98.9%) were performed as emergency, and 2 patients (1.1%) had elective tracheostomy. %; Leading complication were tracheostomy tube blockage by 15.79% followed by hemorrhage and tracheostomy dependency by 7.89% then stoma infection by 7.37%. Conclusion: upper airway obstruction secondary to tumor is the most common indication for tracheostomy in our Centre and the leading complications were tracheostomy tube blockage by 15.79% followed by hemorrhage and tracheostomy dependency by 7.89% then stoma infection by 7.37%