Early Tracheostomy for Severe Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury is Associated with Reduced Intensive Care Unit Length of Stay and Total Ventilator Days. (November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sheehan, Brian M.; Grigorian, Areg; Gambhir, Sahil; Maithel, Shelley; Kuza, Catherine M.; Dolich, Matthew O.; Lekawa, Michael E.; Nahmias, Jeffry
• Is Part Of: Journal of intensive care medicine. Volume 35:Number 11(2020)
• Page Start: 1346
• Page End: 1351
• Publication Date: 2020-11
• Subjects: tracheostomy -- critical care -- brain injury -- trauma -- intensive care unit -- pediatrics -- respiratory insufficiency; Critical care medicine -- Periodicals; Critical Care -- Periodicals; Soins intensifs -- Périodiques; Soins intensifs; Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 616.02805
• DOI: 10.1177/0885066619870153
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0885-0666

Abstract

Objectives: To determine whether, similar to adults, early tracheostomy in pediatric patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) improves inhospital outcomes including ventilator days, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS), and total hospital LOS when compared to late tracheostomy. Design: Retrospective cohort analysis. Setting: The Pediatric Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) database Patients: One hundred twenty-seven pediatric patients <16 years old with severe (>3) abbreviated injury scale TBI who underwent early (days 1-6) or late (day ≥7) tracheostomy between 2014 and 2016. Interventions: Not applicable. Measurements and Main Results: The Pediatric TQIP database was queried for patients <16 years old with severe TBI, who underwent tracheostomy. Patient demographics and outcomes of early versus late tracheostomy were compared using Student t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ2 analysis. Sixteen patients underwent early tracheostomy while 111 underwent late tracheostomy. The groups had similar distributions of age, gender, mechanism of injury, and mean injury severity scores (P > .05). Early tracheostomy was associated with decreased ICU LOS (early: 17 vs late: 32 days, P < .05) and ventilator days (early: 9.7 vs late: 27.1 days, P < .05). There was no difference in total LOS (early: 26.7 vs late: 41.3 days, P = .06), the incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (early: 6.3% vs late: 2.7%, P = .45), pneumonia (early: 12.5% vs late: 29.7%, P = .15), or mortality (early: 0% vs late: 2%, P = .588) between the 2 groups. Conclusion: Similar to adults, early tracheostomy in pediatric patients with severe TBI is associated with decreased ICU LOS and ventilator days. Future prospective trials are needed to confirm these findings. Article Tweet: Early tracheostomy in pediatric patients with severe TBI is associated with decreased ICU LOS and ventilator days.