I wonder what kind of operation this would be - I thought he had a virus?
Tracheotomy
A tracheotomy
There was a thread earlier that doctors were considering a tracheotomy. Is that what they're doing, HLL?
There's only a couple reasons I can come up with that he would be getting a surgical airway this early:
1) Anticipated to be a very difficult orotracheal intubation due to anatomic factors
2) Attempted prior orotracheal intubations failed
3) Already orotracheally intubated, but tube diameter insufficient for ventilation and/or adequate suctioning
Usually, a tracheotomy is not necessary until about 2 weeks of orotracheal intubation, at which time vocal cord dysfunction becomes a concern. An early tracheotomy may be done in patients that are certain to need long-term ventilatory support, but that's not usually the case for something like pneumonia.
Pneumonia is a common complication of influenza, especially in the elderly and other folks whose immune systems are not in top shape. Typically the strains that prey on individuals recovering from influenza, such as staphylococcus aureus, are very aggressive.