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World J Crit Care Med. Jun 9, 2026; 15(2): 115099
Published online Jun 9, 2026. doi: 10.5492/wjccm.v15.i2.115099
Published online Jun 9, 2026. doi: 10.5492/wjccm.v15.i2.115099
Sex differences in serious outcomes among critically ill adults following endotracheal intubation
Shahan Waheed, Sajid Ali, Nadeemullah Khan, Ahmed Raheem, Sarah Afzal Kothari, Department of Emergency Medicine, Aga Khan University and Hospital, Karachi 74800, Sindh, Pakistan
Author contributions: Waheed S wrote the original draft, validated the results, and was involved in formal analysis, data curation and conceptualization; Ali S reviewed and edited the manuscript; Raheem A was involved in data management, data analysis and validation of the results; Khan N and Kothari SA were involved in reviewing and editing the manuscript and methodology of the article. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: This study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of Aga khan University Hospital (approval No. 2020-4975-14778).
Informed consent statement: All study participants, or their legal guardian, provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: Data are available from the corresponding author upon request.
Corresponding author: Sajid Ali, Chief Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Aga Khan University and Hospital, Stadium Road, Karachi 74800, Sindh, Pakistan.
Received: October 13, 2025
Revised: November 5, 2025
Accepted: February 12, 2026
Published online: June 9, 2026
Processing time: 225 Days and 15.7 Hours
Revised: November 5, 2025
Accepted: February 12, 2026
Published online: June 9, 2026
Processing time: 225 Days and 15.7 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This study explores sex-based differences in outcomes following endotracheal intubation in critically ill adults in the emergency department. Although overall complication rates were comparable between men and women, females demonstrated a higher incidence of post-intubation hypotension, even after adjustment for baseline clinical factors. This suggests that sex-related physiological differences may influence hemodynamic responses during airway management. The findings underscore the importance of recognizing sex as a potential risk modifier and highlight the need for tailored, sex-specific strategies to improve safety and optimize outcomes in critically ill patients undergoing intubation.