Evolution of tracheostomy practices after the COVID-19 pandemic: The fast lane in the post-COVID era

Table 1 Baseline characteristics

Variables	Study period		P value
	Pre-COVID (n = 246)	Post-COVID (n = 68)
Time intervals [days, median (Q1, Q3)]
Length of hospital stay	34.0 (23.3, 52.0)	29.5 (22.8, 40.5)	0.033
Time to palliative consult	7.0 (2.0, 16.0)	3.0 (1.0, 7.8)	0.001
Time to surgical consult	15.0 (9.0, 24.8)	9.5 (4.0, 15.0)	< 0.001
Time from admission to tracheostomy	18.5 (13.0, 29.0)	16.0 (9.0, 21.0)	0.003
Time from intubation to tracheostomy	15.5 (10.0, 24.0)	11.0 (6.0, 17.0)	< 0.001
Mortality, n (%)
2 months	72/156 (46.2)	24/42 (57.1)	0.227
6 months	96/156 (61.5)	28/42 (66.7)	0.593

COVID: Coronavirus disease.

Table 2 Main outcomes in patients undergoing tracheostomy in the pre- vs post-coronavirus disease era

Variables	Study period		P value
	Pre-COVID (n = 246)	Post-COVID (n = 68)
Time intervals [days, median (Q1, Q3)]
Length of hospital stay	34.0 (23.3, 52.0)	29.5 (22.8, 40.5)	0.033
Time to palliative consult	7.0 (2.0, 16.0)	3.0 (1.0, 7.8)	0.001
Time to surgical consult	15.0 (9.0, 24.8)	9.5 (4.0, 15.0)	< 0.001
Time from admission to tracheostomy	18.5 (13.0, 29.0)	16.0 (9.0, 21.0)	0.003
Time from intubation to tracheostomy	15.5 (10.0, 24.0)	11.0 (6.0, 17.0)	< 0.001
Mortality, n (%)
2 months	72/156 (46.2)	24/42 (57.1)	0.227
6 months	96/156 (61.5)	28/42 (66.7)	0.593

COVID: Coronavirus disease.

Table 3 Comparison of comorbidities in survivors vs non-survivors, n (%)

Variable	2 months (n = 230)			6 months (n = 198)
	Survivors (n = 134)	Non-survivors (n = 96)	SMD (95%CI)	Survivors	Non-survivors	SMD (95%CI)
Diabetes mellitus	44 (33.0)	43 (45.0)	-0.25 (-0.51, 0.02)	22 (30.0)	54 (44.0)	-0.29 (-0.58, 0.00)
Hypertension	85 (63.0)	63 (66.0)	-0.05 (-0.31, 0.22)	47 (64.0)	79 (64.0)	0.00 (-0.29, 0.28)
Coronary artery disease	22 (16.0)	21 (22.0)	-0.14 (-0.40, 0.12)	11 (15.0)	27 (22.0)	-0.18 (-0.47, 0.11)
Chronic kidney disease	15 (11.0)	11 (11.0)	-0.01 (-0.27, 0.25)	6 (8.1)	17 (14.0)	-0.18 (-0.47, 0.11)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	15 (11.0)	19 (20.0)	-0.24 (-0.50, 0.02)	8 (11.0)	21 (17.0)	-0.18 (-0.47, 0.11)

SMD: Standardized mean difference; CI: Confidence interval.

Table 4 Multivariable analyses: Mortality

Variables	Model 1 (n = 195)			Model 2 (n = 228)			Model 3 (n = 197)
	OR	95%CI	P value	OR	95%CI	P value	OR	95%CI	P value
Study period: Post-COVID	1.24	0.60-2.58	0.559	-	-	-	-	-	-
Time to palliative consult	1	0.98-1.03	0.867	1	0.98-1.02	0.914	-	-	-
Time to surgical consult	1.03	0.98-1.10	0.237	1.03	0.98-1.08	0.243	-	-	-
Time from admission to tracheostomy	0.99	0.93-1.05	0.655	0.99	0.94-1.05	0.827	-	-	-
Time from intubation to tracheostomy	1.02	0.98-1.06	0.323	1.02	0.98-1.06	0.287	-	-	-
Age	1.03	1.00-1.05	0.027	-	-	-	1.02	1.00-1.05	0.02
Number of comorbidities	1.08	0.82-1.41	0.589	-	-	-	1.17	0.93-1.49	0.186
Reason for ICU admission: Surgical	3.68	0.74-28.96	0.149	-	-	-	1.82	0.70-5.14	0.236

OR: Odds ratio; CI: Confidence interval; COVID: Coronavirus disease; ICU: Intensive care unit.