Early versus late tracheostomy in patients with traumatic brain injury in a trauma reference hospital

Abstract

Introduction. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a complex disorder caused by external forces that affect the central nervous system. Such problems can result in a long recovery period and the need for a tracheostomy. Objective. To compare the effects of early (≤7 days) and late (>7 days) tracheostomy in patients with TBI admitted to the Adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a trauma referral hospital. Method. This is an observational study, in which the medical records of patients aged ≥18 years, of both sexes, diagnosed with TBI admitted to the adult ICU and undergoing tracheostomy were included. Result. 30 medical records of patients with a mean age of 53 years were analyzed, predominantly male (83.9%), classified into the severe (51.6%), moderate (16.12%) and mild TBI group (32.25%). There was no significant difference between the groups regarding time of weaning from MV (p=0.809), length of stay in the ICU (p=0.465), length of hospital stay (p=0.402), rate of pneumonia associated with mechanical ventilation (p=0.704) and mortality (p=0.622). However, there was a difference between the groups in terms of total MV time (p=0.002). Conclusion: This study found a significant difference in the effects of TQT between the early TQT groups (≤7 days) and late (>7 days) in patients hospitalized with TBI. According to our analysis, early tracheostomy in ICU patients can lead to a shorter duration of mechanical ventilation (MV).