Table 2.
Follow-up data and procedural and intermediate-term complications a
| Complications | Study groups | P -value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Procedural complications, n (%) b | Landmark ( N = 24) | Ultrasound ( N = 23) c | |
| Patients with procedural complicationsb | 9 (37%) | 5 (22%) | 0.237 |
| Patients with complications excluding minor bleedingb | 2 (8%) | 2 (9%) | 0.965 |
| Only minor bleeding/no intervention | 7 (29%) | 3(13%) | 0.177 |
| Bleeding requiring intervention | 2 (8%) | 0 (0) | 0.157 |
| Pneumothorax | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1.000 |
| Tracheal injury | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1.000 |
| Oesophageal injury | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1.000 |
| Paratracheal placement | 1 (4%) | 0 (0) | 0.322 |
| Haemodynamic instability | 1 (4%) | 0 (0) | 0.322 |
| Desaturation | 1 (4%) | 1 (4%) | 0.975 |
| Ruptured ETT cuff | 0 (0) | 1 (4%) | 0.302 |
| Intermediate-term complications, n (%) | Landmark ( N = 24) | Ultrasound ( N = 24) c | |
| Accidental decannulation | 0 (0) | 1 (4%) | 0.322 |
| Pressure ulcer | 0 (0) | 1 (4%) | 0.322 |
| Bleeding | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1.000 |
| Soft-tissue infection | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1.000 |
| Follow-up | |||
| Days to wean | 9.0 | 8.0 | 0.448 |
| Days to decannulation | 19 | 24 | 0.819 |
| ICU length of stay | 23 | 22 | 0.556 |
aETT, Endotracheal tube. bPatients with multiple procedural complications were counted as one in the overall procedural complication rate. cIn the ultrasound group, procedural data were missing for one patient and follow-up data were available for all 24 patients.