Tracheostomy-related data from an intensive care unit for two consecutive years before the COVID-19 pandemic

Table 2 Baseline characteristics of the patients who were subjected to tracheostomy and comparison between those who were subjected to early tracheostomy and those who were subjected to late tracheostomy, n (%)

		Whole of the patients	Patients with early tracheostomy	Patients with late tracheostomy	P value
Gender	Male	72/115 (62.6)	40/63 (63.5)	32/52 (61.5)	0.83
	Female	43/115 (37.4)	23/63 (36.5)	20/52 (38.5)
Age (yr)		60.1 ± 15.2	60.1 ± 14.3	60.2 ± 16.4	0.95
Cause of admission	CNS	65/115 (56.5)	38/63 (60.3)	27/52 (51.9)	0.37
	CVS	3/115 (2.6)	1/63 (1.6)	2/52 (3.9)	0.59
	RS	11/115 (9.6)	8/63 (12.7)	3/52 (5.8)	0.34
	Sepsis	4/115 (3.5)	1/63 (1.6)	3/52 (5.8)	0.33
	Malignancy	7/115 (6.1)	2/63 (3.2)	5/52 (9.6)	0.24
	Trauma	20/115 (17.4)	10/63 (15.9)	10/52 (19.2)	0.64
	Surgery	2/115 (1.7)	2/63 (3.2)	0/52 (0.0)	0.50
	Metabolic	3/115 (2.6)	1/63 (1.6)	2/52 (3.9)	0.59
Cause of intubation	CNS	54/115 (47.0)	32/63 (50.8)	22/52 (42.3)	0.36
	CVS	8/115 (7.0)	5/63 (7.9)	3/52 (5.8)	0.73
	RS	10/115 (8.7)	7/63 (11.1)	3/52 (5.8)	0.51
	Trauma	16/115 (13.9)	8/63 (12.7)	8/52 (15.4)	0.68
	Metabolic	7/115 (6.1)	2/63 (3.2)	5/52 (9.6)	0.24
	Compromised airway	13/115 (11.3)	7/63 (11.1)	6/52 (11.5)	0.94
	Sepsis	7/115 (6.1)	2/63 (3.2)	5/52 (9.6)	0.24
	Surgery	0/115 (0.0)	0/63 (0.0)	0/52 (0.0)	N/A
GCS (N)		9.6 ± 4.4	9.3 ± 4.1	10.1 ± 4.6	0.33
APACHE II (N)		19.0 ± 6.7	18.3 ± 6.4	19.8 ± 7.0	0.25
APDR (%)		33.2 ± 20.1	31.7 ± 18.7	35.0 ± 21.7	0.38
Number of co-morbidities (N)		1.75 ± 1.40	1.75 ± 1.33	1.75 ± 1.49	0.99
Co-morbidity	Cardiovascular	56/115 (48.7)	34/63 (54.0)	22/52 (42.3)	0.21
	Metabolic	46/115 (40.0)	22/63 (34.9)	24/52 (46.2)	0.22
	Respiratory	13/115 (11.3)	7/63 (11.1)	6/52 (11.5)	0.94
	Autoimmune	3/115 (2.6)	2/63 (3.2)	1/52 (1.9)	1.00
	Malignancy	10/115 (8.7)	6/63 (9.5)	4/52 (7.7)	1.00
	Psychiatric	10/115 (8.7)	6/63 (9.5)	4/52 (7.7)	1.00
	Renal	6/115 (5.2)	4/63 (6.4)	2/52 (3.9)	0.69
	Neurological	9/115 (7.8)	7/63 (11.1)	2/52 (3.9)	0.18
	Hematological	3/115 (2.6)	1/63 (1.6)	2/52 (3.9)	0.59
	Urological	3/115 (2.6)	1/63 (1.6)	2/52 (3.9)	0.59
	Infectious	4/115 (3.5)	3/63 (4.8)	1/52 (1.9)	0.63
Reason for tracheostomy	Prolonged mechanical ventilation	25/115 (21.7)	9/63 (14.3)	16/52 (30.8)	0.033
	Compromised Airway	16/115 (13.9)	9/63 (14.3)	7/52 (13.5)	0.90
	Low level of consciousness	49/115 (42.6)	30/63 (47.6)	19/52 (36.5)	0.23
	Myopathy	25/115 (21.7)	15/63 (23.8)	10/52 (19.2)	0.55
Method of tracheostomy	PDT	96/115 (83.5)	53/63 (84.1)	43/52 (82.7)	0.84
	ST	19/115 (16.5)	10/63 (15.9)	9/52 (17.3)
Reason for ST	Facial trauma	5/19 (26.3)	5/10 (50.0)	0/9 (0.0)	0.033
	Cervical burn	1/19 (5.3)	0/10 (0.0)	1/9 (11.1)	0.47
	Difficult airway	6/19 (31.6)	3/10 (30.0)	3/9 (33.3)	1.00
	Cervical edema	1/19 (5.3)	1/10 (10.0)	0/9 (0.0)	1.00
	Goiter	4/19 (21.1)	0/10 (0.0)	4/9 (44.4)	0.033
	Re-opening	2/19 (10.5)	1/10 (10.0)	1/9 (11.1)	1.00
Complications		0/115 (0.0)	0/63 (0.0)	0/52 (0.0)	n/a
VAP		31/115 (27.0)	17/63 (27.0)	14/52 (26.9)	0.99
Pathogen isolated	None	11/47 (23.4)	7/24 (29.2)	4/23 (17.4)	0.34
	Candida albicans	1/47 (2.1)	1/24 (4.2)	0/23 (0.0)	1.00
	Klebsiella pneumoniae	4/47 (8.5)	2/24 (8.3)	2/23 (8.7)	1.00
	Acinetobacter baumanii	15/47 (31.9)	7/24 (29.2)	8/23 (34.8)	0.68
	Pseudomonas aeruginosa	10/47 (21.3)	4/24 (16.7)	6/23 (26.1)	0.49
	Staphylococcus aureus	1/47 (2.1)	0/24 (0.0)	1/23 (4.4)	0.49
	Proteus mirabilis	2/47 (4.3)	0/24 (0.0)	2/23 (8.7)	0.23
	Escherichia coli	1/47 (2.1)	1/24 (4.2)	0/23 (0.0)	1.00
	Enterococcus faecium	1/47 (2.1)	1/24 (4.2)	0/23 (0.0)	1.00
	Hemophilus influenzae	1/47 (2.1)	1/24 (4.2)	0/23 (0.0)	1.00
Days in ICU (N)		21.8 ± 10.7	18.8 ± 9.1	25.4 ± 11.5	0.001
Transferred to	Ward	75/115 (65.2)	39/63 (61.9)	36/52 (69.2)	0.41
	Another hospital	11/115 (9.6)	8/63 (12.7)	3/52 (5.8)	0.34
	Rehabilitation center	7/115 (6.1)	3/63 (4.8)	4/52 (7.7)	0.70
	CCU	3/115 (2.6)	3/63 (4.8)	0/52 (0.0)	0.25
	ICCU	0/115 (0.0)	0/63 (0.0)	0/52 (0.0)	N/A
Condition at discharge	T-piece	82/115 (71.3)	43/53 (81.1)	39/43 (90.7)	0.19
	Speaking valve	1/115 (0.9)	1/53 (1.9)	0/43 (0.0)	0.45
	Tracheostomy closure	5/115 (4.3)	4/53 (7.6)	1/43 (2.3)	0.38
	CPAP	2/115 (1.7)	2/53 (3.8)	0/43 (0.0)	0.50
	BiPAP	1/115 (0.9)	1/53 (1.9)	0/43 (0.0)	1.00
	Pressure ventilator	3/115 (2.6)	2/53 (3.8)	1/43 (2.3)	1.00
	Volume ventilator	2/115 (1.7)	1/53 (1.9)	1/43 (2.3)	1.00
Breathing at discharge	Unassisted	88/115 (76.5)	47/53 (88.7)	41/43 (95.3)	0.29
	Assisted	8/115 (7.0)	6/53 (11.3)	2/43 (4.7)
Weaning from mechanical ventilation		87/115 (75.7)	48/60 (80.0)	39/50 (78.0)	0.80
Days on mechanical ventilation (N)		18.6 ± 9.7	15.3 ± 8.5	22.8 ± 9.6	< 0.001
Survival	Yes	96/115 (83.5)	53/63 (84.1)	43/52 (82.7)	0.84
	No	19/115 (16.5)	10/63 (15.9)	9/52 (17.3)

N: Number; CNS: Central nervous system; CVS: Cardiovascular system; RS: Respiratory system; GCS: Glasgow coma scale; APACHE: Acute physiology and chronic health evaluation; APDR: APACHE predicted death rate; VAP: Ventilator associated pneumonia; ICU: Intensive care unit; CCU: Critical care unit; ICCU: Intensive coronary care unit; CPAP: Continuous positive airway pressure; BiPAP: Bi-level positive airway pressure; PDT: Percutaneous dilatation tracheostomy; ST: Surgical tracheostomy.