TABLE 5.
Patient Outcomes Based on Tracheostomy Technique
| Percutaneous, N = 92 (78.0%) | Surgical, N = 26 (22.0%) | P∗ | |
| Sedation in days, median (Q1–Q3) | |||
| Total | 27 (21–35) | 25.5 (21–37) | .972 |
| Pre-tracheostomy | 19 (14–22.5) | 17 (14–20) | .126 |
| Post-tracheostomy | 7 (3–12.5) | 8.5 (4–14) | .332 |
| Ventilator-related outcomes | |||
| Weaned from the ventilator, N (%) | 57 (62.0%) | 21 (80.8%) | .074 |
| Total ventilator days for patients weaned, median (Q1–Q3), n = 78 | 34 (29–39) | 39 (34–51) | .038 |
| Days from intubation to tracheostomy, median (Q1–Q3), n = 118 | 22 (18–25.5) | 21 (18–24) | .480 |
| Days from tracheostomy to ventilator weaning, median (Q1–Q3), n = 78 | 11 (5–18) | 16 (10–23) | .024 |
| Complications | |||
| Ventilator-associated pneumonia, N (%) | 54 (58.7%) | 21 (80.8%) | .039 |
| Patients with complications of tracheostomy, N (%) | 11 (12.0%) | 7 (26.9%) | .168 |
| Bleeding from tracheostomy | 6 (6.5%) | 4 (15.4%) | .152 |
| Dislodgement of tracheostomy | 3 (3.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | .351 |
| Cellulitis of tracheostomy site | 1 (1.1%) | 1 (3.8%) | .341 |
| Pneumothorax | 2 (2.2%) | 0 (0.0%) | .448 |
| Air-leak | 1 (1.1%) | 2 (7.7%) | .059 |
| Other | 1 (1.1%) | 1 (3.8%) | .910 |
| Overall outcomes | |||
| Patients discharged from ICU, N (%) | 77 (84.6%) | 21 (80.8%) | .639 |
| ICU days for patients discharged, median (Q1–Q3), n = 98 | 33 (27–42) | 47 (33–64) | .009 |
| Discharged from hospital, N (%) | 78 (84.8%) | 22 (84.6%) | .983 |
| Hospital days for patients discharged, median (Q1–Q3), n = 100 | 46 (33–59) | 59.5 (48–80) | .001 |
| Death, N (%) | 14 (15.2%) | 4 (15.4%) | .983 |
∗
P value calculated using χ2 test or Wilcoxon Rank sum test, as appropriate.
ICU indicates intensive care unit.