Table 1 Characteristics of studies included in systematic review
First author, location | Study period | Publication format | Type of study | Definition of early versus late tracheostomy, days | Number of patients, early versus late groups | Age, early versus late groups, yearsa | Female patients, early versus late groups, n (%) | PDT, early versus late groups, n (%) | Major complications of tracheostomyb | Number of infections in health care workers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Angel LF, USA | March 11 to April 29, 2020 | Journal | Prospective, multicenter |  ≤ 13 versus > 13 | 89 versus 89 | 59 (46–67) versus 64 (55–70) | 23 (20) versus 26 (29) | All in both groups | 12 moderate-to-severe bleedingb | None |
Arnold J, USA | March 2020 to January 2021 | Preprint | Retrospective, single center |  ≤ 14 versus > 14 | 12 versus 47 | NA | NA | All in both groups | None | None |
Breik O, UK | March 9, 2020, to April 21, 2020 | Journal | Prospective, single center |  ≤ 14 versus > 14 | 64 versus 36 | NA | NA | NA | None | None |
Chandran A, India | April 1, 2020, to January 31, 2021 | Journal | Prospective, single center |  ≤ 10 versus > 10 | 32 versus 19 | NA | NA | None in both groups | None | None |
Glibbery N, UK | March 15, 2020, to May 15, 2020 | Journal | Prospective, single center |  ≤ 14 versus > 14 | 9 versus 19 | NA | NA | NA | None | None |
Hansson A, Sweden | March 14, 2020, to March 13, 2021 | Preprint | Retrospective, multicenter |  ≤ 7 versus > 7 | 56 versus 61 | 67 (22–87) versus 65 (18–83) | 10 (18) versus 17 (28) | NA | 1 tracheal injury | NA |
1 perioperative hypoxemia ( SpO2 < 80%) | ||||||||||
Hernandez Gc, Spain | February 15 to May 15, 2020 | Journal | Retrospective, multicenter |  ≤ 14 versus > 14 | 382 versus 300 | 63.5 ± 10.4 versus 63.6 ± 10.1 | 116 (30) versus 77 (26) | 198 (52) versus 149 (50) | 82 bleeding that required transfusion or surgical control | NA |
Livneh N, Israel | March 2020 to January 2021 | Journal | Retrospective, single center |  ≤ 7 versus > 7 | 19 versus 19 | 60 (54–67) versus 68 (59–74) | 3 (16) versus 2 (11) | None in both groups | NA | None |
Mahmood Kd, USA | February 1, 2020, to September 4, 2020 | Journal | Retrospective, multicenter |  ≤ 14 versus > 14 | 9 versus 109 | NA | NA | 9 (100) versus 49 (80) | None | NA |
Prats-Uribe A, Spain | March 11, 2020, to July 20, 2020 | Preprint | Prospective, multicenter | 7–10 versus > 10 | 142 versus 554 | 60.2 ± 10.0 versus 63.8 ± 8.9 | 53 (37) versus 166 (30) | NA | 135 bleeding that required revision of stoma | NA |
Takhar A, UK | March 21 to May 20, 2020 | Journal | Prospective, single center |  < 14 versus ≥ 14 | 24 versus 57 | 58.4 ± 11.8 versus 50.6 ± 11.8 | 9 (37.5) versus 17 (29.8) | NA | 1 tracheal injury | None |
|  | 1 intraoperative oxygen desaturations (SpO2 < 90%) | |||||||||
Tang Y, China | January 8, 2020, to March 25, 2020 | Journal | Retrospective, multicenter |  ≤ 14 versus > 14 | 30 versus 50 | 66.5 ± 15.1 versus 62.3 ± 13.2 | 9 (30) versus 16 (32) | 27 (90) versus 36 (72) | 4 major bleeding that required blood transfusion | NA |
Tetaj N, Italy | April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021 | Journal | Retrospective, single center |  ≤ 12 versus > 12 | 61 versus 59 | 70 (64–77) versus 65 (69–73) | 19 (31) versus21 (36) | All in both groups | None | None |
Volo T, Italy | February 22 to April 26, 2020 | Journal | Retrospective, single center |  ≤ 10 versus > 10 | 9 versus 14 | NA | NA | NA | 1 bleedingb | None |