Background Around 20% of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 need mechanical ventilation (MV). MV may be prolonged, thus warranting tracheostomy. Methods Observational cohort study enrolling patients admitted due to COVID-19. Demographic and clinical data at hospital and ICU admission were collected. The primary endpoint was to identify parameters associated with a need for tracheostomy; secondary endpoints were to analyze the clinical course of patients who needed tracheostomy. Results 118 patients were enrolled; 37 patients (31.5%) were transferred to ICU, of which 11 (29.72%) needed a tracheostomy due to prolonged MV. Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score at ICU admission (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.47-0.92, p 0.015) was the only variable found to be associated with increased risk of the need for tracheostomy, with a cut-off point of 4.5 (sensitivity 0.72, specificity 0.73, positive predictive value 0.57 and negative predictive value 0.85). The main complications were nosocomial infection (100%), supraventricular cardiac arrhythmia (45.5%), agitation (54.5%), pulmonary thromboembolism (9.1%) and depression (9.1%). All patients presented with hypoalbuminemia and significant critical illness polyneuropathy. Conclusion SOFA at ICU admission is associated with an increased risk of tracheostomy in patients with COVID-19. Moreover, they present clinical features similar to those with chronic critical illness and suffer SARS-CoV-2-related complications.
BACKGROUND: Mechanical insufflation-exsufflation (MI-E) applied via tracheostomy tubes in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who are on home mechanical ventilation via tracheostomy is an effective procedure for respiratory secretion management. Nonetheless, tenacious secretions may remain and increase the risk of respiratory infections. The aim of this study was to determine whether adding oscillations to MI-E could reduce the rate of respiratory infections and the need for bronchoscopy to remove secretions in patients with ALS on home mechanical ventilation via tracheostomy. METHODS: This was a 2-y, prospective, crossover study. Subjects were treated with conventional MI-E and MI-E with oscillations for 2 alternate 6month periods. Data were collected on episodes of respiratory infections, hospital admission, and number of bronchoscopy procedures. RESULTS: In the 19 ALS subjects enrolled, the median (interquartile range [IQR]) number of acute respiratory infections per subject was 1.0 (0.5-2.0) in the MI-E period and 0.0 (0.0-2.0) in the MI-E plus oscillations period (P 5 .92). The median (IQR) number of hospital stays was 0.0 (0.0-1.0) in the MI-E period and 0.0 (0.0-1.0) in the MI-E plus oscillations period (P 5 .80). The median (IQR) number of bronchoscopies per subject was 0.0 (0.0-1.0) in MI-E period and 0.0 (0.0-0.5) in the MI-E plus oscillations period (P 5 .26). MI-E plus oscillations treatment had no impact on the risk of respiratory infections (odds ratio 3.71, 95% CI 0.81-16.84, P 5 .09) or the need for bronchoscopy (odds ratio 2.70, 95% CI 0.44-16.68, P 5 .29). CONCLUSIONS: Adding oscillations to MI-E therapy in subjects with ALS on home mechanical ventilation via tracheostomy did not decrease the risk of respiratory infections, hospital admission, or need for bronchoscopy.
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