2.2 Methodology
We conducted a retrospective,
single-center study using medical
charts from the hospital database of our institute. The clinical and
demographic profiles of the patients, including age, sex, and body mass
index; presence of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, primary
diseases, or airway emergency; method of anesthesia (local anesthesia
without intubation or general anesthesia); use of antithrombotic drugs;
presence of complications; blood test values, were analyzed.
Complications were reviewed with respect to the incidences of bleeding,
infection, and subcutaneous emphysema. We defined “bleeding” as
bleeding lasting 1 week after ST or bleeding that required surgical
hemostasis; “infection” as a condition requiring the application of
antibiotic ointments or surgical treatment, including the excision of
the infected area; “subcutaneous emphysema” as the evident presence of
subcutaneous emphysema around the tracheostoma.
Blood test values were reviewed to determine the albumin level,
lymphocyte count, platelet count, prothrombin time (PT), activated
partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and prothrombin time-international
normalized ratio (PT-INR). The abnormal ranges for albumin level,
lymphocyte count, platelet count, PT, APTT, and PT-INR were defined as
<3.0 g/dL, <1500/μL, <50000/μL,
>14 s, >40 s, and >1.5,
respectively.
We also extracted the data of patients who underwent ST under CAT.
Thereafter, we compared the patient backgrounds and risks of
complications after ST between the antithrombotic naïve patients and
patients undergoing CAT. Furthermore, we analyzed the risk factors for
complications after ST.