Timing of elective tracheotomy and duration of mechanical ventilation among patients admitted to intensive care with severe COVID-19: A multicenter prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Optimal timing for tracheotomy for critically ill COVID-19 patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) is not established. METHODS: Multicenter prospective cohort including all COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) in 36 hospitals who required tracheotomy during first pandemic wave. With a target emulation trial framework, we studied the causal effects of early (7-10 days) versus late (>10 days) tracheotomy (LT) on time from tracheotomy to weaning, postoperative mortality, and tracheotomy complications. RESULTS: Of 696 patients, 20.4% received early tracheotomy (ET). ET was associated with faster weaning (hazard ratio [HR] [95% confidence interval, CI]: 1.25 [1.00-1.56]) without differences in mortality (HR [95% CI]: 0.85 [0.60-1.21]) or complications (adjusted rate ratio [95% CI]: 0.56 [0.23-1.33]). CONCLUSIONS: ET had a similar or lower post-tracheotomy weaning time than LT, potentially shortening IMV and ICU stays, without changing complication or mortality rates in COVID-19 patients.

Vestibulo-ocular reflex assessed with Video Head Impulse Test in children with Vestibular Migraine: Our experience.

Vestibular Migraine in children can mimic other disorders, especially at presentation. Outcome is hard to predict and management may be challenging due to the fact that many of the patients are too young to describe their symptoms and these are not always accompanied by headache. OBJECTIVE: To assess vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) in pediatric patients who meet criteria for defined Vestibular Migraine and to compare results to healthy controls. METHODS: Twenty-one patients aged 11-16 years were included in this prospective multicentric study. VOR was assessed using the video Head Impulse Test by EyeSeeCam®(Interacoustics, Denmark). RESULTS: Patients with Vestibular Migraine (VM) have higher values of gain compared to asymptomatic patients. CONCLUSION: Video Head Impulse Test (vHIT) is a useful and relatively fast-to-perform examination in children compared to other vestibular tests. Patients with VM seem to have higher values of gain at vHIT.