Comparison of the Clinical Effects of Early and Late Percutaneous Tracheostomy Timing in Intensive Care Unit Patients

Background/Aims: Percutaneous Tracheostomy (PT) is defined as early or late PT according to the time from the patient's intubation to the day of PT procedure. We aimed to evaluate the effects of early and late tracheostomy timing on the duration of mechanical ventilation, duration of intensive care unit stay, length of hospital stay, complications and mortality. Methods: The files and hospital records of critically ill patients who underwent tracheostomy during their treatment in the Anesthesiology and Reanimation Intensive Care Unit (ICU) between March 1, 2023 and May 31, 2024 were retrospectively evaluated. Patients in whom tracheostomy was performed on the 10th day of intubation and before the 10th day were grouped as early tracheostomy, and patients in whom tracheostomy was performed after the 10th day were grouped as late tracheostomy. Results: The study included 90 patients. The early tracheostomy group(n=45) was significantly younger than the late tracheostomy group (n=45). The mean age of the early tracheostomy group was 62.42 ± 16.78, while that of the late tracheostomy group was 69.58 ± 16.20], (p=.043). The median ICU length of stay was 32 days (range: 6 – 270 days) in the early tracheotomy group and 45 days (range: 16 – 270 days) in the late tracheotomy group; and the ICU length of stay in the early tracheotomy group was significantly shorter than the late tracheotomy group (p=.025). Besides, the number of mechanical ventilation time was significantly greater in patients to the late tracheotomy group compared with patients to the early tracheotomy group (32 days [range: 6 – 230 days] vs. 40 days [range: 16 – 265 days], p=.032). Conclusions: Early tracheostomy procedure is important and beneficial for the treatment of elderly intensive care patients because it reduces the duration of ICU stay and reduces the duration of mechanical ventilation.