The Netherlands journal of medicine, Volume 48, Issue 1, 1 1 1996, Pages 8-10 Complications in the use of the subcutaneous tunnelled intratracheal oxygen catheter. in't Veen JC, Stolk J, Dijkman JH
Transtracheal oxygen delivery seems to be a safe procedure in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with chronic hypoxaemia. Even so, serious complications do occur. Three patients in whom we used a subcutaneous tunnelled intratracheal oxygen catheter (ITO2C) are described. Surgical intervention was required in all because of complications from the procedure. One of the complications--tracheal and catheter obstruction with stridor and subcutaneous emphysema by granulomatous tissue--has to our knowledge not been reported before.
