Table 1.
Clinical characteristics and outcome variables of CCI patients defined by either tracheostomy or MV for ≥ 21 days compared to the remainder of the patients in the ICU.
| Variable | Tracheo group | MV group | Non-CCI |
| N | 19 | 15 | 228 |
| Age | 59.3 ± 17.9 | 63.9 ± 12.9 | 54.4 ± 18.6b |
| Gender, male n (%) | 9 (47.4) | 6 (40.0) | 121 (53.1) |
| Place before admission | |||
| Ward | 9 (47.4) | 8 (53.3) | 57 (25.0)a,b |
| Emergency | 3 (15.8) | 2 (13.3) | 61 (26.8) |
| Another hospital | 3 (15.8) | 3 (20.0) | 21 (9.2) |
| Operating room | 4 (21.0) | 2 (13.3) | 84 (36.8) |
| Another place | - | - | 5 (2.2) |
| Length of stay in the previous location | 8.9 ± 13.2 | 7.7 ± 8.9 | 7.5 ± 11.2 |
| McCabe score | |||
| 1 | 16 (84.2) | 13 (86.7) | 193 (84.6) |
| 2 | 3 (15.8) | 2 (13.3) | 32 (14.0) |
| 3 | - | - | 3 (1.3) |
| Type of admission | |||
| Medical | 15 (78.9) | 13 (86.7) | 141 (61.8) |
| Elective surgery | 3 (15.8) | 1 (6.7) | 62 (27.2) |
| Emergency surgery | 1 (5.3) | 1 (6.7) | 25 (11.0) |
| Reason for ICU admission n(%) | |||
| Sepsis | 1 (5.3) | 2 (13.3) | 54 (23.7) |
| Cardiovascular | 3 (15.9) | 2 (13.3) | 12 (5.3) |
| Respiratory | 6 (31.6) | 7 (46.7) | 33 (14.5) |
| Neurological | 5 (26,3) | 1 (6.7) | 29 (12.7) |
| Gastrointestinal | - | - | 7 (3.1) |
| Postoperative | 4 (21.0) | 2 (13.3) | 84 (36.8) |
| Miscellaneous | - | 1 (6.7) | 9 (3.9) |
| ARDS | |||
| Upon admission | 2 (10.5) | 2 (13.3) | 6 (2.6) |
| During evolution | 4 (21.1) | 5 (33.3) | 15 (6.6)a,b |
| Shock | |||
| Upon admission | 3 (15.8) | 3 (20.0) | 66 (28.9) |
| During evolution | 15 (78.9) | 15 (100.0) | 96 (42.1)a,b |
| Number of shock episodes | 1.1 ± 0.7 | 1.5 ± 0.6 | 0.5 ± 0.8a,b |
| Sepsis upon admission | 10 (52.6) | 11 (73.3) | 98 (43.0)b |
| Number of infection episodes | 2.7 ± 2.1 | 3.1 ± 2.2 | 0.8 ± 0.8a,b |
| APACHE II | 24.0 ± 8.4 | 26.1 ± 8.1 | 19.7 ± 8.0a,b |
| SOFA | 6.4 ± 2.9 | 6.9 ± 3.8 | 5.7 ± 3.7 |
| SOFA – neurological | 1.6 ± 1.6 | 1.1 ± 1.6 | 0.7 ± 1.2a |
| SOFA – cardiovascular | 0.8 ± 1.5 | 1.1 ± 1.7 | 1.0 ± 1.5 |
| SOFA – respiratory | 2.8 ± 0.7 | 3.0 ± 0.5 | 2.0 ± 1.2a,b |
| SOFA – renal | 0.7 ± 1.2 | 0.9 ± 1.2 | 1.0 ± 1.4 |
| SOFA – hematological | 0.3 ± 0.8 | 0.6 ± 1.1 | 0.5 ± 0.9 |
| SOFA – hepatic | 0.2 ± 0.7 | 0.3 ± 0.9 | 0.5 ± 0.9 |
| Dialysis (in evolution) | 5 (26.3) | 7 (46.7) | 44 (19.3)b |
| MV (in evolution) | 19 (100.0) | 15 (100.0) | 149 (65.4)a,b |
| Days on MV | 32.2 ± 25.2 | 40.7 ± 24.3 | 3.4 ± 4.6a,b |
| Days in the ICU | 36.2 ± 25.3 | 44.6 ± 24.4 | 6.2 ± 5.4a,b |
| Days in the hospital | 68.4 ± 42.2 | 68.9 ± 44.6 | 26.3 ± 18.3a,b |
| ICU mortality | 4 (21.1) | 7 (46.7) | 57 (25.0)b |
| Hospital mortality | 10 (52.6) | 9 (60.0) | 78 (34.2)b |
a, p < 0.05 for comparisons between the Tracheo group and the non-CCI patients.
b, p < 0.05 for comparisons between MV group and the non-CCI patients.
CCI, chronically critically ill; MV, mechanical ventilation; ICU, intensive care unit; ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome; APACHE, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation; SOFA, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment.