Cost Analysis of Open Surgical Bedside Tracheostomy in Intensive Care Unit Patients

Objectives: Open surgical tracheostomy (OST) is a common procedure performed on intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The procedure can be performed bedside in the ICU (bedside open surgical tracheostomy, BeOST) or in the operating room (operating room open surgical tracheostomy, OROST), with comparable safety and long-term complication rates. We aimed to perform a cost analysis and evaluate the use of human resources and the total time used for both BeOSTs and OROSTs. Methods: All OSTs performed in 2017 at 5 different ICUs at Oslo University Hospital Ullevål were retrospectively evaluated. The salaries of the personnel involved in the 2 procedures were obtained from the hospital’s finance department. The time taken and the number of procedures performed were extracted from annual reports and from the electronic patient record system, and the annual expenditures were calculated. Results: Altogether, 142 OSTs were performed, of which 122 (86%) and 20 (14%) were BeOSTs and OROSTs, respectively. A BeOST cost 343 EUR (95% CI: 241.4-444.6) less than an OROST. Bedside open surgical tracheostomies resulted in an annual cost efficiency of 41.818 EUR. In addition, BeOSTs freed 279 hours of operating room occupancy during the study year. Choosing BeOST instead of OROST made 1 nurse, 2 surgical nurses, and 1 anesthetic nurse redundant. Conclusion: Bedside open surgical tracheostomy appears to be cost-, time-, and resource-effective than OROST. In the absence of contraindications, BeOSTs should be performed in ICU patients whenever possible.

Speech therapy and tracheostomy rehabilitation in COVID 19: five preliminary case reports

Studies addressing the hospitalization of patients affected by COVID-19 have reported that length of hospital stay in intensive care unit varies between 12 and 22 days. Part of these patients require orotracheal intubation (OTI) and, in cases where OTI is prolonged and/or with complications, they consequently end up undergoing open surgical tracheostomy (OST). In most hospitals, a multidisciplinary team composed of physicians, nurses, physiotherapists and speech-language therapists is responsible for this process, which allows early removal of the tracheal cannula, making it safer for patients, with reduced risk of failure and complications. Although safety recommendations and procedures support the most diverse protocols of weaning from mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy, there is no universally accepted protocol for this transition. This is a complex issue that is necessary in the current scenario, because studies establishing weaning and decannulation criteria in patients with COVID-19 are urgent at this moment. Purpose: To describe the process of weaning from the tracheostomy in COVID-19 patients. Methods: This is a descriptive study presenting a series of case reports. It describes the decannulation process in five tracheostomized patients with COVID-19 (3 men and 2 women) aged 41 and 74 years who agreed to participate in the study and remained hospitalized in a private hospital in the city of XXXX. Results: The decannulation process of the five COVID-19 patients lasted up to 10 days (mean duration of 6.4 days).

Surgical tracheostomy in a cohort of COVID-19 patients

Background One of the main symptoms of severe infection with the new coronavirus‑2 (SARS-CoV-2) is hypoxemic respiratory failure because of viral pneumonia with the need for mechanical ventilation. Prolonged mechanical ventilation may require a tracheostomy, but the increased risk for contamination is a matter of considerable debate. Objective Evaluation of safety and effects of surgical tracheostomy on ventilation parameters and outcome in patients with COVID-19. Study design Retrospective observational study between March 27 and May 18, 2020, in a single-center coronavirus disease-designated ICU at a tertiary care German hospital. Patients Patients with COVID-19 were treated with open surgical tracheostomy due to severe hypoxemic respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. Measurements Clinical and ventilation data were obtained from medical records in a retrospective manner. Results A total of 18 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV‑2 infection and surgical tracheostomy were analyzed. The age range was 42–87 years. All patients received open tracheostomy between 2–16 days after admission. Ventilation after tracheostomy was less invasive (reduction in PEAK and positive end-expiratory pressure [PEEP]) and lung compliance increased over time after tracheostomy. Also, sedative drugs could be reduced, and patients had a reduced need of norepinephrine to maintain hemodynamic stability. Six of 18 patients died. All surgical staff were equipped with N99-masks and facial shields or with powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR). Conclusion Our data suggest that open surgical tracheostomy can be performed without severe complications in patients with COVID-19. Tracheostomy may reduce invasiveness of mechanical ventilation and the need for sedative drugs and norepinehprine. Recommendations for personal protective equipment (PPE) for surgical staff should be followed when PPE is available to avoid contamination of the personnel.

Modifying ways to perform ICU tracheostomies in COVID-19 patients: Approach to a safe and secure method

Background- This study outlines the unique modifications to surgical tracheostomy procedure to combat the extraordinary situation the world has found itself in due to COVID 19 pandemic. We explain the modifications employed to the operative setup, anesthetic considerations and surgical procedure to enable us to provide timely and safe tracheostomy to the COVID ICU patients requiring it, while simultaneously maximally protecting our surgical personnel from the deadly exposure.Methods- We conducted 55 surgical tracheostomies in severely sick ICU patients with the modifications deemed fit to achieve safe procedure for both the patient and the operating team. We analyzed the hospital record data of these patients and the surgical teams COVID 19 status to assesss the efficacy of our procedural modifications.Discussion- The COVID 19 pandemic has thrown the entire medical fraternity into a dilemma as to how to provide the best possible care to the patients while protecting ourselves from its grip. Severely sick COVID patients often require tracheostomy for improved prognosis. We performed bedside open surgical tracheostomy and induced transient apnoea periprocedur along with carinal intubation. By making these simple and cost effective modifications to the procedure, we have ensured that patients get tracheostomised as and when required but not at the cost of the health and lives of our health care workers.

Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Wake-Up Call for Neurosurgeons to Learn Percutaneous Tracheostomy

Tracheostomy is a commonly performed operation in neurosurgical patients. It is an aerosol generating procedure and is considered a high-risk operation in times of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Though percutaneous tracheostomy has been around for some time, many neurosurgeons still perform open surgical tracheostomy as they have been trained in doing so and are well versed with the procedure. However, this pandemic is a wake-up call for them to learn a new skill that is simple, quick, and has several advantages over the traditional method.

Timing of Tracheostomy in Intensive Care Unit Patients

Introduction The ideal timing of tracheostomy in intensive care units (ICUs) for critically ill patients undergoing prolonged mechanical ventilation (MV) is still a controversial issue. Objectives To determine the proper timing of tracheostomy and its impact on various clinical outcomes of adult patients in ICUs undergoing prolonged MV. Methods The present study consisted of a sample of 67 ICU adult patients who were submitted to open surgical tracheostomy and divided into two groups: 30 patients in the early tracheostomy (ET) group (within 1–10 days post intubation), and 37 patients in the late tracheostomy (LT) group (within 11–21 days post intubation). The correlation between the timing of tracheostomy of each group and various associated ICU clinical parameters were analyzed. Results The sample consisted of 61.19% male and 38.81% female patients, with a mean age of 47.263 ± 7.581 years. The mean MV duration in days was 7.91 ± 4.937 standard deviation (SD) in the ET group, and 15.32 ± 7.472 SD in the LT group (p = 0.001), with a mean sedation time of 6.13 ± 4.647 SD in the ET group, and of 11.98 ± 6.596 SD in the LT group (p = 0.001). The duration of the weaning process duration had a mean of 2.75 ± 2.586 SD days in the ET group, and of 5.39 ± 5.817 SD days in the LT group (p = 0.025), with a weaning failure rate of 28.57% in the ET group and 71.42% in the LT group (p = 0.01). The Mean ICU stay was 26.18 ± 4.732 SD in the ET group, and 11.98 ± 6.596 SD in the LT group (p = 0.879), and the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) of 23.33% in the ET group and of 27.02% in the LT group (p = 0.15). Conclusion Early tracheostomy had a notable benefit in shortening the duration of the MV, lessening the sedation time and minimizing the risks of weaning failure, but it had no significant impact on both the overall duration of ICU stay and VAP incidence.

A comparative review of the literature surrounding complications associated with percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy versus open surgical tracheostomy

In this structured review, I aim to discuss the principle of tracheostomies including what they are and why we perform them. My main objective is to explore the literature surrounding whether or not there is a better option between open surgical and percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy, based on the complications with which they are associated. Simply put, a tracheostomy is a common surgical procedure performed on critically ill patients in order to facilitate their breathing. I will discuss the two main types of tracheostomy: open surgical (OST) and percutaneous dilatational (PDT), along with their accompanying impediments.