Bench-to-bedside review: Early tracheostomy in critically ill trauma patients

Table 3 Potential advantages of tracheostomy

Study design	Patient population	Number of patients	Comments	Reference
Respiratory mechanics
Prospective observational	Surgical	20 (13 patients trauma)	↓ work of breathing	[13]
			↓ airway resistance
Lung model	Lung model	-	↓ work of breathing	[14]
Prospective observational	Cancer (medical)	23 (data from 7 patients)	↓ inspiratory resistive work	[15]
			↓ intrinsic PEEP
Prospective observational	Medical	8	↓ work of breathing	[17]
			↓ intrinsic PEEP
			↓ PTP
Prospective observational	Medical	23	↓ peak inspiratory pressure	[18]
Dead space
	Medical	14	↓ physiological dead space	[19]
Duration of mechanical ventilation
Prospective randomized controlled trial	Trauma	106	↓ MV duration	[5]
			↓ ICU LOS
			↓ hospital LOS
Retrospective observational	Trauma	101	↓ MV duration	[8]
Retrospective observational	Trauma	157	↓ ICU LOS	[9]
			↓ hospital LOS
Retrospective observational	Trauma	31	↓ ICU LOS	[10]
			↓ hospital LOS
			↓ MV duration
Retrospective observational	Trauma	136	↓ MV duration	[20]
			↓ ICU LOS
Prospective randomized controlled trial	Trauma	62	↓ MV duration	[21]
Risk of pneumonia
Prospective randomized controlled trial	Trauma	106	↓ pneumonia	[5]
Retrospective observational	Trauma	101	↓ pneumonia	[8]
Retrospective observational	Trauma	118	↓ pneumonia	[26]
Patient comfort
Retrospective observational	Medical/surgical	52 (15 trauma patients)	↑ patient comfort	[23]

Up and down arrows indicate an increase and decrease, respectively. LOS, length of stay; MV, mechanical ventilation; PEEP, positive end expiratory pressure; PTP, pressure-time product.

ISSN: 1364-8535