ABSTRACT
Introduction: Tracheostomy is a common surgical procedure in the setting of acute respiratory failure. And improves outcomes for critically patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation. Initially avoided due to it's high risk to biosafety, tracheostomy soon became a routine procedure in the critical support of critical ill patients affected by COVID-19. The aim of this review was to compare tracheostomy done in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 pneumonias in an UCI. Method(s): This retrospective, observational study included 78 patients (23 female, 55 male;age range: 23-90 years, mean age: 66) with severe pneumonia who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Hospital Beatriz Angelo (Portugal) between 01/03/2012 until 31/12/2021, to whom a tracheostomy was performed. Patients underwent orotracheal intubation with invasive mechanical ventilation, followed by percutaneous or open surgical tracheotomy. Indications, timing of the procedure, and time needed to complete weaning and decannulation, as well as complications, were reported and compared between patients with COVID-19 (N = 38) and non-COVID-19 (N = 40) pneumonias. Result(s): In both groups, weaning from difficult ventilation was the most common indication for the procedure, followed by prolonged mechanical ventilation in the COVID-19 group (42%) and protection of the airway/secretions management in the non-COVID-19 group (22.5%). Timing of the procedure was 14.6 and 16.4 days after mechanical ventilation in the COVID-19 and non-COVID group, respectively. The non-COVID-19 group reported more days to decannulation (39.3 vs 15.1 days) as well as more days to wean off from mechanical ventilation (20.3 vs 14.1 days) and more major complications (12.5% vs 2%). Hospital discharge rate was similar in both groups (COVID-19 with 42.1% and 42.5% to non-COVID-19). Conclusion(s): Although the differences between both groups are multifactorial, it's useful for self-evaluation observations, as well as sharing practices and outcomes for further analysis.