Table 1 Clinical characteristics of CARDS patients with tracheostomy.

From: Association of mortality and early tracheostomy in patients with COVID-19: a retrospective analysis

Tracheostomy

Total

n = 117 (100%)

Early ≤ 10 days

n = 61 (52%)

Late > 10 days

n = 56 (48%)

p-value regarding difference of groups

Mortality

67 (57.3%)

43 (70%)

24 (43%)

0.003

Time to tracheostomy (d)

11.6 ± 6.8

6.4 ± 2.8

17.3 ± 5.1

 < 0.0001

Age (y)

60.1 ± 13.7

59.7 ± 14.0

60.6 ± 13.4

0.057

Sex (male)

97 (84%)

51 (84%)

46 (82%)

0.834

BMI (kg/m2)

32.0 ± 7.1

32.4 ± 8.1

31.5 ± 5.8

0.924

ECMO-treatmentb

56 (48%)

34 (56%)

25 (45%)

0.233

cRRT

46 (39%)

13 (21%)

20 (36%)

0.085

SAPS II admission

47 ± 19

49 ± 19

45 ± 20

0.175

HI admission

119 ± 50

114 ± 48

124 ± 52

0.561

Coronary artery disease

32 (27%)

19 (31%)

13 (23%)

0.338

Obesitya

63 (54%)

32 (52%)

31 (55%)

0.754

Pulmonary disease

29 (25%)

15 (25%)

14 (25%)

0.242

Chronic kidney disease

13 (11%)

3 (5%)

10 (18%)

0.027

Diabetes mellitus

51 (44%)

32 (52%)

19 (34%)

0.044

Arterial hypertension

56 (48%)

28 (46%)

28 (50%)

0.659

  1. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation, count or as patient number [percentage] where applicable. Clinical characteristics of all patients, patients with early (≤ 10 days), patients with late (> 10 days) tracheostomy and corresponding p-value of differences between both time allocations.
  2. BMI, Body mass index; d, day; HI, Horovitz index, paO2·FiO2–1; kg, kilogram; m, meter; cRRT, continuous renal replacement therapy; SAPS II, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II; y, year.
  3. aDefined according to international guidelines as BMI > 35 kg/m2.
  4. bECMO was initiated according to the current recommendations of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO). Thus, ECMO was usually initiated before tracheostomy.
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