Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 25, 2025

Endotracheal Intubation via Tracheotomy and Subsequent Thoracotomy in Rats for Non-Survival Applications
Published on: March 15, 2024
Association Between Tracheostomy and Functional, Neuropsychological, and Healthcare Utilization Outcomes in the
Sangeeta Mehta1,2, Anita Brondani3, George Tomlinson4,5
1Department of Medicine, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Abstract:
Tracheostomy is commonly performed in critically ill patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation (MV). We evaluated the outcomes of tracheostomy in patients who received greater than or equal to 1 week MV and were followed for 1 year.
Design:
In this secondary analysis of a prospective observational study, we compared outcomes in tracheostomy versus nontracheostomy patients. Outcomes post ICU included Functional Independence Measure (FIM) subscales, 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), Short Form 36 (SF36), Medical Research Council (MRC) Scale, pulmonary function tests (PFTs), Impact of Event Scale (IES), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and vital status and disposition.
Setting:
Nine University affiliated ICUs in Canada.
Patients:
Medical/surgical patients requiring MV for 7 or more days who were enrolled in the Towards RECOVER Study.
Measurements And Main Results:
Of 398 ICU survivors, 193 (48.5%) received tracheostomy, on median ICU day 14 (interquartile range [IQR], 8-0 d). Patients with tracheostomy were older, had similar severity of illness, had longer MV duration and ICU and hospital stays, and had higher risk of ICU readmission (odds ratio [OR], 1.9; 95% CI, 1.0-3.2) and hospital mortality (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.1-6.1), but not 1-year mortality (hazard ratio, 1.41; 95% CI, 0.88-1.2). Over 1 year, tracheostomy patients had lower FIM-Total (7.7 points; 95% CI, 2.2-13.2); SF36, IES, and BDI-II were similar. From 3 months, tracheostomy patients had 12% lower 6MWT (p = 0.0008) and lower MRC score (3.4 points; p = 0.006). Most PFTs were 5-8% lower in the tracheostomy group. Tracheostomy patients had similar specialist visits (rate ratio, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.28-2.4) and hospital readmissions (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.54-1.3) but were less likely to be at home at hospital discharge and 1 year.
Conclusions:
Patients who received tracheostomy had more ICU and hospital care and higher hospital mortality compared with patients who did not receive a tracheostomy. In 1 year follow-up, tracheostomy patients required a higher daily burden of care, expressed by FIM.
More Related Videos
05:39Author Spotlight: A Non-Intubated Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery with Multimodal Analgesia and Sevoflurane Inhalation Anesthesia
Published on: May 26, 2023
09:10Heterotopic and Orthotopic Tracheal Transplantation in Mice used as Models to Study the Development of Obliterative Airway Disease
Published on: January 20, 2010
Related Concept Videos
Tracheostomy Decannulation
Description of the Procedure
Decannulation refers to the permanent removal of the tracheostomy tube, signaling the resolution of the condition that initially necessitated the tracheostomy. The process requires a well-coordinated interplay between...
Tracheostomy: Procedure and Tubes
Tracheostomy tubes can be made of semiflexible plastic (polyurethane or silicone), rigid plastic, or metal, and they come in...
Oxygen Delivering System III: Tracheostomy and T-piece
Tracheostomy
A tracheostomy is a surgically created opening (stoma) in the anterior part of the trachea. It is used to establish a patient airway, bypass an upper airway obstruction, simplify the removal of secretions, permit long-term...
Tracheostomy Care I: Pre-procedural Steps
Required Equipment
The equipment necessary for tracheostomy care includes:
Tracheostomy Care II: Procedure
Step 1: Perform hand hygiene, and put on personal protective equipment: gown, gloves, mask...
Trachea
Anatomical Features:
Location: About half of the trachea is situated in the neck, anterior to the esophagus, and extends from the larynx (at the level of...