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

Table 5 Timing of tracheostomy

				Results in early tracheostomy group
Design	Patient population	Number of patients	Group/patient number	ICU LOS	Hospital LOS	Duration of MV	% pneumonia	Reference
Prospective randomized	Trauma	74	E = 3–4 (34)
			L = 14 (40)	N/A	N/A	N/A	↔	[3]
Prospective randomized	Trauma	106	E ≤ 7 (51)
			L > 7 (55)	↓	↓	↓	↓	[5]
Retrospective observational	Trauma	101	E ≤ 4 (32)
			L > 4 (69)	N/A	N/A	↓	↓	[8]
Retrospective observational	Trauma	157	E ≤ 6 (62)
			L > 6 (95)	↓	↓	N/A	↓^a	[9]
Retrospective observational	Trauma	31	E ≤ 7 (21)
			L > 7 (10)	↓	↓	↓	N/A	[10]
Prospective observational	Trauma	653	E ≤ 7 (29)
			L = > 7 (107)	↓	↔	↓	N/A	[20]
Prospective observational	Trauma	62	E = 5–6 (31)
			L = > 6 (31)	N/A	N/A	↓	↔	[21]
Prospective randomized multicenter	Trauma (139)	157	E = 3–5 (127)	↔	N/A	N/A	↔	[52]
	Non-trauma (18)		L = 10–14 (28)

^aStatistically not significant. Vertical down arrows indicate significant reduction. Horizontal arrows indicate no difference. E, early tracheostomy; ICU, intensive care unit; L, late tracheostomy; LOS, length of stay; MV, mechanical ventilation; NA, data not available.

ISSN: 1364-8535