Timing to perform bed-side surgical tracheostomy in COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit

Abstract

Background: Tracheostomy is an important surgical procedure in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease (COVID-19) pandemic, particularly those patients undergoing prolonged tracheal intubation. The timing and indications for tracheostomy in COVID-19 patients with ventilators are still controversial. Methods: We prospectively studied the best timing for performing surgical tracheostomy in COVID-19 patients (n = 22) from April 2020 to May 2021 in the COVID-19 ICU attached to our COVID-19 hospital. The tracheotomised patients were followed up and the number and timing of the death were documented. Results: There were 14 males (male:female = 1.75:1). The mean duration of endotracheal intubation to tracheostomy was 14.4 days (range 10-22 days). The mean time for tracheostomy was 18.45 min (range 12–25 min). Five patients (22.7%) died after tracheostomy. The median time between tracheostomy and death was 4 days. Conclusions: Surgical tracheostomy has to be performed in a proper time with safe manner for benefit of the patients with COVID-19 and the health care professionals managing the patient.