Tracheostomy Practice in Mechanically Ventilated Patients With SARS-CoV-2 Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: a Single-center Retrospective Study With Focus on Tracheomalacia

Abstract

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic increased the number of patients needing invasive mechanical ventilation, either through an endotracheal tube or through a tracheostomy. Tracheomalacia is a rare, but potentially severe complication of mechanical ventilation, which can significantly complicate the weaning process. Aim of this study was to describe the strategies of airway management in mechanically ventilated patients with respiratory failure due to SARS-CoV-2, the incidence of severe tracheomalacia, and investigate the factors associated with its occurrence.Methods. Retrospective, single-center study performed in an Italian teaching hospital. All adult patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) between February 24 and June 30, 2020, treated with invasive mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure caused by SARS-CoV-2 were included. Clinical data were collected on the day of ICU admission, while information regarding airway management was collected daily.Results. A total of 151 patients were included in the study. On admission, ARDS severity was mild in 21%, moderate in 62%, and severe in 17% of the cases, with an overall mortality of 39.7%. A tracheostomy was performed in 73 (48.3%) patients: open surgical technique in 54 patients (74%) and percutaneous Ciaglia technique in 19 patients (26%). Patients in whom a tracheostomy was performed had, compared to the other patients, a longer duration of mechanical ventilation and longer ICU and hospital length of stay. Tracheomalacia was diagnosed in 8 (5%) patients. The factors associated with tracheomalacia were female sex, obesity, and tracheostomy.Conclusions. In our population, approximately 50% of patients with ARDS due to SARS-CoV-2 were tracheostomized. Tracheostomized patients had a longer ICU and hospital length of stay. Five percent of our population was diagnosed with tracheomalacia. This percentage is 10 times higher than what is reported in available literature and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood.