Intensive Care Med (2008) 34:222–228 DOI 10.1007/s00134-007-0931-5 REVIEW Peter Szmuk A brief history of tracheostomy and tracheal Tiberiu Ezri Shmuel Evron intubation, from the Bronze Age to the Space Yehudah Roth Jeffrey Katz Age Y. R ot h the modern era of anesthesiology. Received: 29 January 2007 Wolfson Medical Center, Affiliated to Accepted: 9 October 2007 Data sources: Review of the liter- Published online: 13 November 2007 Tel Aviv University, Department of ature. Conclusions: The colorful © Springer-Verlag 2007 Otolaryngology, Holon, Israel and checkered past of tracheostomy and tracheal intubation informs con- There is no conflict of interest. J. Katz temporary understanding of these University of Texas Medical School at procedures. Often, the decision P. Szmuk (u) Houston, Department of Anesthesiology, whether to perform a life-saving University of Texas Southwestern Medical Houston TX, USA School and Children’s Medical Center at tracheostomy or tracheal intubation Dallas, Department of Anesthesiology, has been as important as the technical 1935 Motor Street, Dallas 75235, TX, USA ability to perform it. The dawn of e-mail:
[email protected]; modern airway management owes its
[email protected] existence to the historical develop- P. Szmuk · T. Ezri · S. Evron Abstract Objective: To present ment of increasingly effective airway Members Outcome Research Consortium, a concise history of tracheostomy devices and to regular contributions of Cleveland OH, USA and tracheal intubation for the ap- research into the pathophysiology