TABLE 2.
Characteristics of Patients Who Received Tracheostomy by Age
| Variable | Age < 65 yr (n = 3,757) | Age ≥ 65 yr (n = 4,586) | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean age (SD), yr | 51.0 (11.2) | 76.8 (7.9) | < 0.0001 |
| Female (%) | 42.0 | 48.4 | < 0.0001 |
| Race/ethnicity (%) | < 0.0001 | ||
| White | 47.4 | 49.3 | |
| Black | 16.0 | 12.3 | |
| Hispanic | 24.8 | 18.8 | |
| Asian | 8.3 | 14.6 | |
| Other | 3.7 | 4.0 | |
| Primary payer (%) | < 0.0001 | ||
| Medicare | 28.2 | 87.3 | |
| Medicaid | 36.9 | 5.8 | |
| Private insurance | 26.2 | 6.4 | |
| Self-pay | 3.1 | 0.2 | |
| Other | 5.7 | 0.5 | |
| Median Elixhauser comorbidity score (IQR)a | 12.0 (5.0–18.0) | 15.0 (10.0–21.0) | < 0.0001 |
| Early do not resuscitate order (within 24 hr of admission) (%) | 3.7 | 6.7 | < 0.0001 |
| Organ failures present at admission (%) | |||
| Shock | 24.7 | 28.0 | 0.0007 |
| Renal failure | 28.7 | 34.2 | < 0.0001 |
| Neurologic failure | 25.9 | 27.1 | 0.22 |
| Hematologic failure | 14.5 | 13.7 | 0.28 |
| Hepatic failure | 5.6 | 2.5 | < 0.0001 |
| Metabolic acidosis | 15.8 | 15.3 | 0.51 |
| Common causes of respiratory failure (%)b | |||
| Pneumonia | 75.8 | 82.1 | < 0.0001 |
| Severe sepsis | 51.8 | 59.3 | < 0.0001 |
| Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 9.5 | 17.6 | < 0.0001 |
| Acute exacerbation of asthma | 3.7 | 3.0 | 0.06 |
| Acute exacerbation of heart failure | 8.5 | 15.1 | < 0.0001 |
| Median time to tracheostomy (IQR) (d) | 11.0 (6.0–16.0) | 12.0 (7.0–17.0) | < 0.0001 |
| Early tracheostomy (%)c | 30.8 | 25.2 | < 0.0001 |
IQR = interquartile range.
a
Calculated without arrhythmia comorbidity. Higher score indicates more chronically ill.
b
Diagnoses present during hospitalization. More than one diagnosis possible.
c
Early tracheostomy defined as tracheostomies performed on day 7 of mechanical ventilation or before.