RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Tracheostomy is often performed in the intensive care unit (ICU) when mechanical ventilation (MV) weaning is prolonged to facilitate daily care. Tracheostomized patients require important healthcare resources and have poor long-term prognosis after the ICU. However, data lacks regarding prediction of outcomes at hospital discharge. We looked for patients' characteristics, ventilation parameters, sedation and analgesia use (pre-tracheostomy) that are associated with favorable and poor outcomes (post-tracheostomy) using univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. RESULTS: Eighty tracheostomized patients were included (28.8% women, 60 [52-71] years). Twenty-three (28.8%) patients were intubated for neurological reasons. Time from intubation to tracheostomy was 14.7 [10-20] days. Thirty patients (37.5%) had poor outcome (19 patients deceased and 11 still tracheostomized at hospital discharge). All patients discharged with tracheostomy (n = 11) were initially intubated for a neurological reason. In univariate logistic regressions, older age and higher body-mass index (BMI) were associated with poor outcome (OR 1.18 [1.07-1.32] and 1.04 [1.01-1.08], p < 0.001 and p = 0.025). No MV parameters were associated with poor outcome. In the multiple logistic regression model higher BMI and older age were also associated with poor outcome (OR 1.21 [1.09-1.36] and 1.04 [1.00-1.09], p < 0.001 and p = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: Hospital mortality of patients tracheostomized because of complex MV weaning was high. Patients intubated for neurological reasons were frequently discharged from the acute care hospital with tracheostomy in place. Both in univariate and multivariate logistic regressions, only BMI and older age were associated with poor outcome after tracheostomy for patients undergoing prolonged MV weaning.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic led authorities to evacuate via various travel modalities critically ill ventilated patients into less crowded units. However, it is not known if interhospital transport impacts COVID-19 patient's mortality in intensive care units (ICUs). A cohort from three French University Hospitals was analysed in ICUs between 15th of March and the 15th of April 2020. Patients admitted to ICU with positive COVID-19 test and mechanically ventilated were recruited. RESULTS: Among the 133 patients included in the study, 95 (71%) were male patients and median age was 63 years old (interquartile range: 54-71). Overall ICU mortality was 11%. Mode of transport included train (48 patients), ambulance (6 patients), and plane plus helicopter (14 patients). During their ICU stay, 7 (10%) transferred patients and 8 (12%) non-transferred patients died (p = 0.71). Median SAPS II score at admission was 33 (interquartile range: 25-46) for the transferred group and 35 (27-42) for non-transferred patients (p = 0.53). SOFA score at admission was 4 (3-6) for the transferred group versus 3 (2-5) for the non-transferred group (p = 0.25). In the transferred group, median PaO2/FiO2 ratio (P/F) value in the 24 h before departure was 197 mmHg (160-250) and remained 166 mmHg (125-222) in the first 24 h post arrival (p = 0.13). During the evacuation 46 (68%) and 21 (31%) of the patients, respectively, benefited from neuromuscular blocking agents and from vasopressors. Transferred and non-transferred patients had similar rate of nosocomial infections, 37/68 (54%) versus 34/65 (52%), respectively (p = 0.80). Median length of mechanical ventilation was significantly increased in the transferred group compared to the non-transferred group, 18 days (11-24) and 14 days (8-20), respectively (p = 0.007). Finally, ICU and hospital length of stay did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS: In France, inter-hospital evacuation of COVID-19 ventilated ICU patients did not appear to increase mortality and therefore could be proposed to manage ICU surges in the future.