The SETscore to Predict Tracheostomy Need in Cerebrovascular Neurocritical Care Patients

Surgical Versus Dilational Tracheostomy in Patients with Severe Stroke: A SETPOINT2 Post hoc Analysis

BACKGROUND

Tracheostomy in mechanically ventilated patients with severe stroke can be performed surgically or dilationally. Prospective data comparing both methods in patients with stroke are scarce. The randomized Stroke-Related Early Tracheostomy vs Prolonged Orotracheal Intubation in Neurocritical Care Trial2 (SETPOINT2) assigned 382 mechanically ventilated patients with stroke to early tracheostomy versus extubation or standard tracheostomy. Surgical tracheostomy (ST) was performed in 41 of 307 SETPOINT2 patients, and the majority received dilational tracheostomy (DT). We aimed to compare ST and DT in these patients with patients.

METHODS

All SETPOINT2 patients with ST were compared with a control group of patients with stroke undergoing DT (1:2), selected by propensity score matching that included the factors stroke type, SETPOINT2 randomization group, Stroke Early Tracheostomy score, patient age, and premorbid functional status. Successful decannulation was the primary outcome, and secondary outcome parameters included functional outcome at 6 months and adverse events attributable to tracheostomy. Potential predictors of decannulation were evaluated by regression analysis.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics were comparable in the two groups of patients with stroke undergoing ST (n = 41) and matched patients with stroke undergoing DT (n = 82). Tracheostomy was performed significantly later in the ST group than in the DT group (median 9 [interquartile range {IQR} 5-12] vs. 9 [IQR 4-11] days after intubation, p = 0.025). Patients with ST were mechanically ventilated longer (median 19 [IQR 17-24] vs.14 [IQR 11-19] days, p = 0.008) and stayed in the intensive care unit longer (median 23 [IQR 16-27] vs. 17 [IQR 13-24] days, p = 0.047), compared with patients with DT. The intrahospital infection rate was significantly higher in the ST group compared to the DT group (14.6% vs. 1.2%, p = 0.002). At 6 months, decannulation rates (56% vs. 61%), functional outcomes, and mortality were not different. However, decannulation was performed later in the ST group compared to the DT group (median 81 [IQR 66-149] vs. 58 [IQR 32-77] days, p = 0.004). Higher baseline Stroke Early Tracheostomy score negatively predicted decannulation.

CONCLUSIONS

In ventilated patients with severe stroke in need of tracheostomy, surgical and dilational methods are associated with comparable decannulation rate and functional outcome at 6 months. However, ST was associated with longer time to decannulation and higher rates of early infections, supporting the dilational approach to tracheostomy in ventilated patients with stroke.

Acute Respiratory Failure in Severe Acute Brain Injury

Acute respiratory failure is commonly encountered in severe acute brain injury due to a multitude of factors related to the sequelae of the primary injury. The interaction between pulmonary and neurologic systems in this population is complex, often with competing priorities. Many treatment modalities for acute respiratory failure can result in deleterious effects on cerebral physiology, and secondary brain injury due to elevations in intracranial pressure or impaired cerebral perfusion. High-quality literature is lacking to guide clinical decision-making in this population, and deliberate considerations of individual patient factors must be considered to optimize each patient's care.

A nomogram for predicting the necessity of tracheostomy after severe acute brain injury in patients within the neurosurgery intensive care unit: A retrospective cohort study

Objective

This retrospective study was aimed to develop a predictive model for assessing the necessity of tracheostomy (TT) in patients admitted to the neurosurgery intensive care unit (NSICU).

Method

We analyzed data from 1626 NSICU patients with severe acute brain injury (SABI) who were admitted to the Department of NSICU at the Affiliated People's Hospital of Jiangsu University between January 2021 and December 2022. Data of the patients were retrospectively obtained from the clinical research data platform. The patients were randomly divided into training (70%) and testing (30%) cohorts. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression identified the optimal predictive features. A multivariate logistic regression model was then constructed and represented by a nomogram. The efficacy of the model was evaluated based on discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility.

Results

The model highlighted six predictive variables, including the duration of NSICU stay, neurosurgery, orotracheal intubation time, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, systolic pressure, and respiration rate. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of the nomogram yielded area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.854 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.822-0.886) for the training cohort and 0.865 (95% CI: 0.817-0.913) for the testing cohort, suggesting commendable differential performance. The predictions closely aligned with actual observations in both cohorts. Decision curve analysis demonstrated that the numerical model offered a favorable net clinical benefit.

Conclusion

We developed a novel predictive model to identify risk factors for TT in SABI patients within the NSICU. This model holds the potential to assist clinicians in making timely surgical decisions concerning TT.

Management of swallowing disorders in ICU patients - A multinational expert opinion

BACKGROUND

Dysphagia is common in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, yet it remains underrecognized and often unmanaged despite being associated with life-threatening complications, prolonged ICU stays and hospitalization.

PURPOSE

To propose an expert opinion for the diagnosis and management of dysphagia developed from evidence-based clinical recommendations and practitioner insights.

METHODS

A multinational group of dysphagia and critical care experts conducted a literature review using a modified ACCORD methodology. Based on a fusion of the available evidence and the panel's clinical experience, an expert opinion on best practice management was developed.

RESULTS

The panel recommends adopting clinical algorithms intended to promote standardized, high-quality care that triggers timely systematic dysphagia screening, assessment, and treatment of extubated and tracheostomized patients in the ICU.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the lack of robust scientific evidence, two clinical management algorithms are proposed for use by multidisciplinary teams to improve early systematic detection and effective management of dysphagia in ICU patients. Additionally, emerging therapeutic options such as neurostimulation have the potential to improve the quality of ICU dysphagia care.

Glasgow Coma Scale Motor Score Predicts Need for Tracheostomy After Decompressive Craniectomy for Traumatic Brain Injury

Objective

Many patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) require a tracheostomy after decompressive craniectomy. Determining which patients will require tracheostomy is often challenging. The existing methods for predicting which patients will require tracheostomy are more applicable to stroke and spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) motor score can be used as a screening method for predicting which patients who undergo decompressive craniectomy for severe TBI are likely to require tracheostomy.

Methods

The neurosurgery census at the University of Kansas Medical Center was retrospectively reviewed to identify adult patients aged over 18 years who underwent decompressive craniectomy for TBI. Eighty patients met the inclusion criteria for the study. There were no exclusion criteria. The primary outcome of interest was the need for tracheostomy. The secondary outcome was the comparison of the total length of stay (LOS) and intensive care unit LOS between the early and late tracheostomy patient groups.

Results

All patients (100%) with a GCS motor score of 4 or less on post operative (POD) 5 required tracheostomy. Setting the threshold at GCS motor score of 5 on POD 5 for recommending tracheostomy resulted in 86.7% sensitivity, 91.7% specificity, and 90.5% positive predictive value, with an area under the receiver operator curve of 0.9101.

Conclusion

GCS motor score of 5 or less on POD 5 of decompressive craniectomy is a useful screening threshold for selecting patients who may benefit from tracheostomy, or may be potential candidates for extubation.

National Cost Estimates of Invasive Mechanical Ventilation and Tracheostomy in Acute Stroke, 2008-2017

BACKGROUND

Patients with stroke receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and tracheostomy incur intense treatment and long hospitalizations. We aimed to evaluate US hospitalization costs for patients with stroke requiring IMV, tracheostomy, or no ventilation.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective observational study of US hospitalizations for acute ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage receiving IMV, tracheostomy, or none using the National Inpatient Sample, 2008 to 2017. We calculated hospitalization costs using cost-to-charge ratios adjusted to 2017 US dollars for inpatients with stroke by ventilation status (no IMV, IMV alone, tracheostomy).

RESULTS

Of an estimated 5.2 million (95% CI, 5.1-5.3) acute stroke hospitalizations, 2008 to 2017; 9.4% received IMV alone and 1.4% received tracheostomy. Length of stay for patients without IMV was shorter (median, 4 days; interquartile range [IQR], 2-6) compared with IMV alone (median, 6 days; [IQR, 2-13]), and tracheostomy (median, 25 days; [IQR, 18-36]; P<0.001). Mortality for patients without IMV was 3.2% compared with 51.2% for IMV alone and 9.8% for tracheostomy (P<0.001). Median hospitalization costs for patients without IMV was $9503 (IQR, $6544-$14 963), compared with $23 774 (IQR, $10 900-$47 735) for IMV alone and $95 380 (IQR, $63 921-$144 019) for tracheostomy. Tracheostomy placement in ≤7 days had lower costs compared with placement in >7 days (median, $71 470 [IQR, $47 863-$108 250] versus $102 979 [IQR, $69 563-$152 543]; P<0.001). Each day awaiting tracheostomy was associated with a 2.9% cost increase (95% CI, 2.6%-3.1%). US hospitalization costs for patients with acute stroke were $8.7 billion/y (95% CI, $8.5-$8.9 billion). For IMV alone, costs were $1.8 billion/y (95% CI, $1.7-$1.9 billion) and for tracheostomy $824 million/y (95% CI, $789.7-$858.3 million).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with acute stroke who undergo tracheostomy account for 1.4% of stroke admissions and 9.5% of US stroke hospitalization costs. Future research should focus on the added value to society and patients of IMV and tracheostomy, in particular after 7 days for the latter procedure given the increased costs incurred and poor outcomes in stroke.

Tracheostomy timing and outcome in critically ill patients with stroke: a meta-analysis and meta-regression

BACKGROUND

Stroke patients requiring mechanical ventilation often have a poor prognosis. The optimal timing of tracheostomy and its impact on mortality in stroke patients remains uncertain. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of tracheostomy timing and its association with reported all-cause overall mortality. Secondary outcomes were the effect of tracheostomy timing on neurological outcome (modified Rankin Scale, mRS), hospital length of stay (LOS), and intensive care unit (ICU) LOS.

METHODS

We searched 5 databases for entries related to acute stroke and tracheostomy from inception to 25 November 2022. We adhered to PRISMA guidance for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Selected studies included (1) ICU-admitted patients who had stroke (either acute ischaemic stroke, AIS or intracerebral haemorrhage, ICH) and received a tracheostomy (with known timing) during their stay and (2) > 20 tracheotomised. Studies primarily reporting sub-arachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) were excluded. Where this was not possible, adjusted meta-analysis and meta-regression with study-level moderators were performed. Tracheostomy timing was analysed continuously and categorically, where early (< 5 days from initiation of mechanical ventilation to tracheostomy) and late (> 10 days) timing was defined per the protocol of SETPOINT2, the largest and most recent randomised controlled trial on tracheostomy timing in stroke patients.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies involving 17,346 patients (mean age = 59.8 years, female 44%) met the inclusion criteria. ICH, AIS, and SAH comprised 83%, 12%, and 5% of known strokes, respectively. The mean time to tracheostomy was 9.7 days. Overall reported all-cause mortality (adjusted for follow-up) was 15.7%. One in five patients had good neurological outcome (mRS 0-3; median follow-up duration was 180 days). Overall, patients were ventilated for approximately 12 days and had an ICU LOS of 16 days and a hospital LOS of 28 days. A meta-regression analysis using tracheostomy time as a continuous variable showed no statistically significant association between tracheostomy timing and mortality (β = - 0.3, 95% CI = - 2.3 to 1.74, p = 0.8). Early tracheostomy conferred no mortality benefit when compared to late tracheostomy (7.8% vs. 16.4%, p = 0.7). Tracheostomy timing was not associated with secondary outcomes (good neurological outcome, ICU LOS and hospital LOS).

CONCLUSIONS

In this meta-analysis of over 17,000 critically ill stroke patients, the timing of tracheostomy was not associated with mortality, neurological outcomes, or ICU/hospital LOS.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO-CRD42022351732 registered on 17th of August 2022.

Subjective Assessment of Motor Function by the Bedside Nurses in Mechanically Ventilated Surgical Intensive Care Unit Patients Predicts Tracheostomy

OBJECTIVE

In many institutions, intensive care unit (ICU) nurses assess their patients' muscle function as part of their routine bedside examination. We tested the research hypothesis that this subjective examination of muscle function prior to extubation predicts tracheostomy requirement.

METHODS

Adult, mechanically ventilated patients admitted to 7 ICUs at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) between 2008 and 2019 were included in this observational study. Assessment of motor function was performed every four hours by ICU nurses. Multivariable logistic regression analysis controlled for acute disease severity, delirium risk assessment through the confusion assessment method for the ICU (CAM-ICU), and pre-defined predictors of extubation failure was applied to examine the association of motor function and tracheostomy within 30 days after extubation.

RESULTS

Within 30 days after extubation, 891 of 9609 (9.3%) included patients required a tracheostomy. The inability to spontaneously move and hold extremities against gravity within 24 h prior to extubation was associated with significantly higher odds of 30-day tracheostomy (adjusted OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.27-1.91, p < 0.001, adjusted absolute risk difference (aARD) 2.8% (p < 0.001)). The effect was magnified among patients who were mechanically ventilated for >7 days (aARD 21.8%, 95% CI 12.4-31.2%, p-for-interaction = 0.015).

CONCLUSIONS

ICU nurses' subjective assessment of motor function is associated with 30-day tracheostomy risk, independent of known risk factors. Muscle function measurements by nursing staff in the ICU should be discussed during interprofessional rounds.

Patient Outcomes following Immediate Tracheostomy and Emergency Decompressive Craniectomy in the Same Setting

Early tracheostomy is recommended for patients with severe traumatic brain injury or stroke. Tracheostomy in the same setting as emergency decompressive craniectomy, on the other hand, has never been investigated. Our goal was to compare the outcomes related to the duration of mechanical ventilation in patients who had immediate (IT) vs. early (ET) tracheostomy following an emergency decompressive craniectomy in a Neurosurgical centre in Sabah, Malaysia. We reviewed 135 patients who underwent emergency decompressive craniectomy for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke patients between January 2013 and January 2018 in this retrospective cohort study. The cohort included 49 patients who received immediate tracheostomy (IT), while the control group included 86 patients who received a tracheostomy within 7 days of decompressive surgery (ET). The duration of mechanical ventilation, length of stay (LOS) in the critical-care unit, and intravenous sedation were significantly shorter in the IT group compared to the ET group, according to the study. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), tracheostomy-related complications, or 30-day mortality rate. In conclusion, compared to early tracheostomy, immediate tracheostomy in the same setting as emergency decompressive craniectomy is associated with a shorter duration of mechanical ventilation and LOS in critical-care units with acceptable morbidity and mortality rates. This practise could be used in busy centres with limited resources, such as those where mechanical ventilators, critical-care unit beds, or OT wait times are an issue.

Effect of Early vs Standard Approach to Tracheostomy on Functional Outcome at 6 Months Among Patients With Severe Stroke Receiving Mechanical Ventilation: The SETPOINT2 Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Many patients with severe stroke have impaired airway protective reflexes, resulting in prolonged invasive mechanical ventilation.

OBJECTIVE

To test whether early vs standard tracheostomy improved functional outcome among patients with stroke receiving mechanical ventilation.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

In this randomized clinical trial, 382 patients with severe acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke receiving invasive ventilation were randomly assigned (1:1) to early tracheostomy (≤5 days of intubation) or ongoing ventilator weaning with standard tracheostomy if needed from day 10. Patients were randomized between July 28, 2015, and January 24, 2020, at 26 US and German neurocritical care centers. The final date of follow-up was August 9, 2020.

INTERVENTIONS

Patients were assigned to an early tracheostomy strategy (n = 188) or to a standard tracheostomy (control group) strategy (n = 194).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was functional outcome at 6 months, based on the modified Rankin Scale score (range, 0 [best] to 6 [worst]) dichotomized to a score of 0 (no disability) to 4 (moderately severe disability) vs 5 (severe disability) or 6 (death).

RESULTS

Among 382 patients randomized (median age, 59 years; 49.8% women), 366 (95.8%) completed the trial with available follow-up data on the primary outcome (177 patients [94.1%] in the early group; 189 patients [97.4%] in the standard group). A tracheostomy (predominantly percutaneously) was performed in 95.2% of the early tracheostomy group in a median of 4 days after intubation (IQR, 3-4 days) and in 67% of the control group in a median of 11 days after intubation (IQR, 10-12 days). The proportion without severe disability (modified Rankin Scale score, 0-4) at 6 months was not significantly different in the early tracheostomy vs the control group (43.5% vs 47.1%; difference, -3.6% [95% CI, -14.3% to 7.2%]; adjusted odds ratio, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.60-1.42]; P = .73). Of the serious adverse events, 5.0% (6 of 121 reported events) in the early tracheostomy group vs 3.4% (4 of 118 reported events) were related to tracheostomy.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Among patients with severe stroke receiving mechanical ventilation, a strategy of early tracheostomy, compared with a standard approach to tracheostomy, did not significantly improve the rate of survival without severe disability at 6 months. However, the wide confidence intervals around the effect estimate may include a clinically important difference, so a clinically relevant benefit or harm from a strategy of early tracheostomy cannot be excluded.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02377167.

Improving tracheostomy delivery for trauma and surgical critical care patients: timely trach initiative

BACKGROUND

Tracheostomy is recommended within 7 days of intubation for patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) or requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation. A quality improvement project aimed to decrease time to tracheostomy to ≤7 days after intubation for eligible patients requiring tracheostomy in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU).

LOCAL PROBLEM

From January 2017 to June 2018, approximately 85% of tracheostomies were performed >7 days after intubation. The tracheostomy was placed a median of 10 days after intubation (range: 1-57).

METHODS

Quality improvement principles were applied at an American College of Surgeons-verified level I trauma centre to introduce and analyse interventions to improve tracheostomy timing. Using the electronic health record, we analysed changes in tracheostomy timing, hospital length of stay (LOS), ventilator-associated pneumonia and peristomal bleeding rates for three subgroups: patients with TBI, trauma patients and all SICU patients.

INTERVENTIONS

In July 2018, an educational roll-out for SICU residents and staff was launched to inform them of potential benefits of early tracheostomy and potential complications, which they should discuss when counselling patient decision-makers. In July 2019, an early tracheostomy workflow targeting patients with head injury was published in an institutional Trauma Guide app.

RESULTS

Median time from intubation to tracheostomy decreased for all patients from 14 days (range: 4-57) to 8 days (range: 1-32, p≤0.001), and median hospital LOS decreased from 38 days to 24 days (p<0.001, r=0.35). Median time to tracheostomy decreased significantly for trauma patients after publication of the algorithm (10 days (range: 3-21 days) to 6 days (range: 1-15 days), p=0.03). Among patients with TBI, family meetings were held earlier for patients who underwent early versus late tracheostomy (p=0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

We recommend regular educational meetings, enhanced by digitally published guidelines and strategic communication as effective ways to improve tracheostomy timing. These interventions standardised practice and may benefit other institutions.

Early versus standard tracheostomy in ventilated patients in neurosurgical intensive care unit: A randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Tracheostomy is performed in patients with prolonged mechanical ventilation, who suffered catastrophic neurologic insult or upper airway obstruction. Thus far, there is no consensus on the optimal timing in performing a tracheostomy. This study aims to test whether early tracheostomy in mechanically ventilated patients in a neurosurgical setting would be associated with a shorter time of mechanical ventilation as compared to standard tracheostomy.

METHODS

This single-center prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted at University Malaya Medical Centre from July 2019 to July 2021. The likelihood of prolonged ventilation was determined objectively using the TRACH score and the patient's clinical presentation. The outcomes measured were days of mechanical ventilation post-tracheostomy, days of neuro-intensive care unit stay, and days of hospital stay. Tracheostomy-related complications were collected. The data collected were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).

RESULTS

In all, 39 patients were randomly assigned. Of these, 20 were allocated to the early tracheostomy group (ET) and 19 were allocated to the standard tracheostomy group (ST). The demographic characteristics were similar between the groups. The primary outcome, mean (SD) days of mechanical ventilation post-tracheostomy, was statistically different in the 2 groups- early 11.9 (9.3) days, standard 18.9 (32.5) days; p = 0.014. There were comparable tracheostomy-related complications in both groups.

CONCLUSION

Early tracheostomy is associated with a shorter duration of mechanical ventilation in a neurosurgical intensive care unit setting.

Early versus late tracheostomy in patients with acute brain injury: Importance of SET score

Introduction:

Patients with acute brain injury presents are unique subset of neurocritical care patients with its long-term functional prognosis difficult to determine. They often have long intensive care unit (ICU) stay and presents as challenge to decide when to transfer out of ICU. This prospective study aims to assess the benefits of early tracheostomy in terms of ICU-length of stay (ICU-LOS), number of days on ventilator (ventilator days), incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and mortality rates.

Materials and Methods:

After institutional ethical clearance, 80 patients were randomized into two groups: Group A, early tracheostomy group (tracheostomy within 3 days of intubation) and Group B, standard of care group (tracheostomy after 10 days of intubation: late tracheostomy). A cutoff of 10 in the SET score was used in predicting need of early tracheostomy; both groups were compared with respect to ICU-LOS, number of ventilator days (ventilation time), need of analgesia and sedation, incidence of VAP, and mortality data.

Results:

Both the groups were comparable in terms of demographic profile and various disease severity scores. ICU-LOS was 14.9 ± 3.6 days in Group A and 17.2 ± 4.6 in Group B. The number of days on ventilator and incidence of VAP was significantly lower in Group A as compared to Group B. There was significantly lower mortality in Group A subset of patients in ICU.

Conclusion:

SET score is a simple and reliable score with fair accuracy and high sensitivity and specificity in predicting need of tracheostomy in neurocritical patients. A cutoff of 10 in the score can be reliably used in predicting need of early tracheostomy as in few other studies. Early tracheostomy is clearly advantageous in neurocritical patients, but has no advantage in terms of long-term mortality rates.

Weaning from mechanical ventilation in neurocritical care

In the intensive care unit (ICU), weaning from mechanical ventilation follows a step-by-step process that has been well established in the general ICU population. However, little data is available in brain injury patients, who are often intubated to protect airways and prevent central hypoventilation. In this narrative review, we describe the general principles of weaning and how these principles can be adapted to brain injury patients. We focus on three major issues regarding weaning from mechanic ventilation in brain injury patients: (1) sedation protocol, (2) weaning and extubation protocol and criteria, (3) criteria, timing and technique for tracheostomy.

A Nomogram for Predicting the Need of Postoperative Tracheostomy in Patients With Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Objective: Early identification for the need of tracheostomy (TT) in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) patients remains one of the main challenges in clinical practice. Our study aimed to establish and validate a nomogram model for predicting postoperative TT in aSAH patients.

Methods: Patients with aSAH receiving active treatment (interventional embolization or clipping) in our institution between June 2012 and December 2018 were retrospectively included. The effects of patients' baseline information, aneurysm features, and surgical factors on the occurrence of postoperative TT were investigated for establishing a nomogram in the training cohort with 393 patients. External validation for the nomogram was performed in the validation cohort with 242 patients.

Results: After multivariate analysis, higher age, high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), high World Federation of Neurological Surgeons Scale (WFNS), and high Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) grade were left in the final logistic regression model. The predictive power of the model was excellent in both training cohort and validation cohort [area under the curve (AUC): 0.924, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.893–0.948; AUC: 0.881, 95% CI: 0.833–0.919]. A nomogram consisting of these factors had a C-index of 0.924 (95% CI: 0.869–0.979) in the training cohort and was validated in the validation cohort (C-index: 0.881, 95% CI: 0.812–0.950). The calibration curves suggested good match between prediction and observation in both training and validation cohorts.

Conclusion: Our study established and validated a nomogram model for predicting postoperative TT in aSAH patients.

Factors Associated With Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation in Patients With Subarachnoid Hemorrhage-The RAISE Score

OBJECTIVES

Patients suffering from spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage frequently require mechanical ventilation. Here, we aimed to identify factors associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation in subarachnoid hemorrhage patients and to create a new predictive score for prolonged mechanical ventilation.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study with retrospective data analysis.

SETTING

Neurocritical care unit at a tertiary academic medical center.

PATIENTS

Two hundred ninety-seven consecutive nontraumatic adult subarachnoid hemorrhage patients.

METHODS

In patients with mechanical ventilation, we identified factors associated with mechanical ventilation greater than 48 hours, greater than 7 days, and greater than 14 days compared with mechanical ventilation less than or equal to 48 hours, less than or equal to 7 days, or less than or equal to 14 days in multivariable generalized linear models. Ventilated patients who died before 48 hours, 7 days, or 14 days and those never ventilated were excluded from the respective analysis. We incorporated those factors into a new prognostic score (the RAISE score) to predict prolonged mechanical ventilation greater than 7 days. The calculation was based on a random dataset of 60% of subarachnoid hemorrhage patients and was internally validated.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Patients were 57 years old (interquartile range, 47-68 yr) and presented with a median Hunt and Hess grade of 3 (1-5). Two hundred forty-two patients (82%) required mechanical ventilation for 9 days (2-20 d). In multivariable analysis, a higher Acute Physiology Score was associated with mechanical ventilation greater than 48 hours, greater than 7 days, and greater than 14 days, a higher Hunt and Hess grade with greater than 7 days and greater than 14 days. Early neuroimaging findings were associated with mechanical ventilation greater than 48 hours (hydrocephalus; high-grade Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Early Brain Edema Score), greater than 7 days (high-grade Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Early Brain Edema Score, co-occurrence of intracerebral bleeding) but not with prolonged mechanical ventilation greater than 14 days. The RAISE score, including age, Acute Physiology Score, Hunt and Hess grade, Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Early Brain Edema Score, and the co-occurrence of intracerebral hemorrhage accurately stratified patients by prolonged mechanical ventilation greater than 7 days (C-statistic 0.932). A RAISE score of 12 predicted 60% likelihood of mechanical ventilation greater than 7 days.

CONCLUSIONS

Initial disease severity and neuroimaging findings detected within 24 hours after ICU admission were associated with the need for prolonged mechanical ventilation in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. These results may be helpful for patient families and caregivers to better anticipate the course of therapy.

Determinants of the Need for Tracheostomy in Neurocritical Patients

Background: Given the difficulties in predicting the need for prolonged intubation and the timing of tracheostomy, the stroke-related early tracheostomy score (SETscore) was developed, and this tool has demonstrated moderate accuracy in predicting intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LoS), ventilation duration, and need for tracheostomy. We aim to assess the usefulness of SETscore in a more heterogeneous population that includes trauma patients to whom this score has not yet been applied.

Material and Methods: A retrospective consecutive analysis of all neurocritical patients who were admitted to our medical-surgical ICU between 2016 and 2018 and who required endotracheal intubation within 48 h of admission was performed in this study. Clinicodemographic data, as well as tracheostomy timing, imaging results, and SETscore were evaluated.

Results: The medical records of 732 neurocritical patients were reviewed, but only 493 patients were included, 68 of whom were tracheostomized (TR). These TR patients presented longer LoS and ventilation and antibiotic duration, lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at admission, and more respiratory comorbidities. Severity scores, including SETscore, were higher in the TR group. A SETscore of >10 demonstrated 92.6% sensitivity and 79.1% specificity in predicting the need for tracheostomy. The majority of patients were tracheostomized after the seventh day of ICU admission. No significant differences in SETscore as well as in severity scores, age, and gender were observed between the early and late TR groups. However, the need for tracheostomy was significantly associated with lower ICU death rate even after controlling for GCS at admission, gender, age, and duration of invasive mechanical ventilation.

Conclusion: SETscore can be applied to a heterogeneous population. However, more data and prospective analyses are needed to validate their clinical usefulness on a daily basis. Nevertheless, the present data are expected to contribute to the management of neurocritical patients, particularly in the setting of ICUs managing a broad spectrum of critically ill patients.

Outcomes After Tracheostomy in Patients with Severe Acute Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

To synthesize reported long-term outcomes in patients undergoing tracheostomy after severe acute brain injury (SABI).

METHODS

We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library for studies in English, German, and Spanish between 1990 and 2019, reporting outcomes in patients with SABI who underwent tracheostomy. We adhered to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines and the meta-analyses of observational studies in epidemiology guidelines. We excluded studies reporting on less than 10 patients, mixed populations with other neurological diseases, or studies assessing highly select subgroups defined by age or procedures. Data were extracted independently by two investigators. Results were pooled using random effects modeling. The primary outcome was long-term functional outcome (mRS or GOS) at 6-12 months. Secondary outcomes included hospital and long-term mortality, decannulation rates, and discharge home rates.

RESULTS

Of 1405 studies identified, 61 underwent full manuscript review and 19 studies comprising 35,362 patients from 10 countries were included in the meta-analysis. The primary outcome was available from five studies with 451 patients. At 6-12 months, about one-third of patients (30%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 17-48) achieved independence, and about one-third survived in a dependent state (36%, 95% CI 28-46%). The pooled short-term mortality for 19,048 patients was 12%, (95% CI 9-17%) with no significant difference between stroke (10%) and TBI patients (13%), and the pooled long-term mortality was 21% (95% CI 11-36). Decannulation occurred in 79% (95% CI 51-93%) of survivors. Heterogeneity was high for most outcome assessments (I² > 75%).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that about one in three patients with SABI who undergo tracheostomy may eventually achieve independence. Future research is needed to understand the reasons for the heterogeneity between studies and to identify those patients with promising outcomes as well as factors influencing outcome.

Mechanical ventilation in neurocritical care setting: A clinical approach

Neuropatients often require invasive mechanical ventilation (MV). Ideal ventilator settings and respiratory targets in neuro patients are unclear. Current knowledge suggests maintaining protective tidal volumes of 6-8 ml/kg of predicted body weight in neuropatients. This approach may reduce the rate of pulmonary complications, although it cannot be easily applied in a neuro setting due to the need for special care to minimize the risk of secondary brain damage. Additionally, the weaning process from MV is particularly challenging in these patients who cannot control the brain respiratory patterns and protect airways from aspiration. Indeed, extubation failure in neuropatients is very high, while tracheostomy is needed in one-third of the patients. The aim of this manuscript is to review and describe the current management of invasive MV, weaning, and tracheostomy for the main four subpopulations of neuro patients: traumatic brain injury, acute ischemic stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and intracerebral hemorrhage.

The use of distributed random forest model to quantify risk predictors for tracheostomy requirements in septic patients: A retrospective cohort study

The search for early clinical risk factors in the intensive care setting may improve the outcome of critically ill patients. The objective of this retrospective study is to identify and quantify early predictors for patients who would require tracheostomy. Five hundred and forty four septic patients were divided in 2 groups: non-tracheostomized (NT) (n = 484) and tracheostomized (T) (n = 60). The patients consisted of 241 males (49.8%) in NT and 27 (45%) in T group, respectively (P = .4971). The median and interquartile range difference of age of NT group was of 72 years [59-82] and T of 75 [55.0-83.5] (P = .4687). The SAPS 3 for the group NTxT was 70 [55-85] and 85.5 [77-91] (P = .0001), the SOFA of 9 [6-13] and 12 [10-14] (P = .0002). The comparison of logistic regression analysis for predictors of non-tracheostomy and tracheostomy groups showed an adjusted odds ratio (OR) for SAPS 3 range between 74 and 87 of 18.14 (95%CI = 3.36-97.84) and between 88 and 116 of 27.77 (95%CI = 4.43-174.24) (P < .05). For SOFA, the adjusted OR between 10 and 13 was 12.23 (95%CI = 2.46-60.81) and between 14 and 20 was 8.45 (95%CI = 1.58-45.29) (P < .05). The need for blood transfusions and dialysis presented an OR of 2.74 (95%CI = 1.23-6.08) and 3.33 (95%CI = 1.43-7.73) (P < .05), respectively. Our data shows that SAPS 3 ≥ 74, SOFA ≥ 11, blood transfusions and the need for dialysis were independently associated and could be considered major predictors for tracheostomy requirements in septic patients.

Severe pain-related adverse events of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy performed by a neurointensivist compared with conventional surgical tracheostomy in neurocritically ill patients

Background

We evaluated severe pain-related adverse events (SAE) during the percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) procedure performed by a neurointensivist and compared the outcomes with that of conventional surgical tracheostomy in neurocritically ill patients.

Methods

This was a retrospective and observational study of adult patients who were admitted to the neurosurgical intensive care unit between January 2014 and March 2018 and underwent tracheostomy. In this study, primary endpoints were incidence of SAE: cardiac arrest, arrhythmias, hypertension, hypotension, desaturation, bradypnea, or ventilatory distress. The secondary endpoint was procedure-induced complications.

Results

A total of 156 patients underwent tracheostomy during the study. Elective surgery of brain tumors (34.0%) and intracranial hemorrhage (20.5%) were the most common reasons for admission. The most common reasons for tracheostomy were difficult ventilator weaning or prolonged intubation (42.9%) and sedative reduction (23.7%). Tachycardia (30.1%) and hypertension (30.1%) were the most common SAE. Incidence of SAE was more common in conventional tracheostomy compared to PDT (67.1% vs. 42.3%, P = 0.002). The total duration of SAE (19.8 ± 23.0 min vs. 3.4 ± 5.3 min, P < 0.001) and procedural time (42.2 ± 21.8 min vs. 17.7 ± 9.2 min, P < 0.001) were longer in conventional tracheostomy compared to PDT. Multivariable adjustment revealed that only PDT by a neurointensivist significantly reduced the incidence of SAE by one third (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 0.36, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.187–0.691). In addition, PDT by a neurointensivist deceased the duration of SAE by 8.64 min (β: -8.64, 95% CI: − 15.070 – -2.205, P = 0.009) and prolonging the procedure time by every one minute significantly increased the duration of SAE by 6.38 min (β: 6.38, 95% CI: 0.166–0.470, P < 0.001). Procedure-induced complications were more common in conventional tracheostomy compared to PDT (23.5% vs. 11.3%, P = 0.047).

Conclusions

This retrospective and exploratory study of our single-center limited cohort of tracheostomy patients revealed that decreased SAE may be associated with short procedural time during the PDT procedure performed by a neurointensivist. It is proposed that PDT by a neurointensivist may be safe and feasible in neurocritically ill patients.

Factors influencing intracranial pressure (ICP) during percutaneous tracheostomy

OBJECTIVES

Percutaneous tracheostomy (PT) is common on ICUs. An increase of intracranial pressure (ICP) can be observed in patients with acute cerebral diseases. Factors determining ICP increase remain unclear.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data for all PTs were collected prospectively. ICP, cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂), and heart rate (HR) were monitored continuously every minute. Primary outcome parameter was an increase of ICP during PT (ICP > 20 mmHg). Influencing factors were evaluated by the means of logistic regression analysis: Body mass index (BMI), age, gender, physician performing the procedure (neurologist vs. neurosurgeon), duration of the procedure, underlying disease, duration of mechanical ventilation, and baseline ICP value before the procedure.

RESULTS

A total of 175 PTs were performed during the observation period between 2010 and 2013. Of these, 54 received ICP monitoring and were included into this study. Median initial ICP value was 10.4 mmHg and rose significantly to a median value of 18.4 mmHg (p < 0.05). In 21 patients (38,9%) an increase of median ICP above 20 mmHg was seen during at least one interval. Comparing patients with and without pathological ICP increase a significant difference between the two groups was only observed for patients with an increased baseline ICP above 15 mmHg. All other factors had no significant influence on the development of a pathological ICP peaks during PT.

CONCLUSION

Percutaneous tracheostomies in patients with cerebral injury leads to a significant increase of ICP during the procedure. Patients with a baseline ICP > 15 mmHg are at risk to develop harmful ICP crises.

Inpatient Complications Predict Tracheostomy Better than Admission Variables After Traumatic Brain Injury

BACKGROUND

Data regarding who will require tracheostomy are lacking which may limit investigations into therapeutic effects of early tracheostomy.

METHODS

We performed an observational study of adult traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission for ≥ 72 h and mechanical ventilation for ≥ 24 h between January 2014 and December 2014 at a level 1 trauma center. Patients who had life-sustaining measures withdrawn were excluded. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess admission and inpatient factors associated with receiving a tracheostomy and to develop predictive models. Inpatient complications prior to day 7 were used to standardize data collection for patients with and without tracheostomy. Patients who received tracheostomy prior to day 7 were excluded from analysis.

RESULTS

In total, 209 patients (78% men, mean 48 years old, median Glasgow Coma Scale score (GCS) 8) met study criteria with tracheostomy performed in 94 (45%). Admission predictors of tracheostomy included GCS, chest tube, Injury Severity Score, and Marshall score. Inpatient factors associated with tracheostomy included the requirement for an external ventricular drain (EVD), number of operations, inpatient dialysis, aspiration, GCS on day 5, and reintubation. Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the number of operation room trips (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.75; 95% CI, 1.04-2.97; P = 0.036), reintubation (AOR, 8.45; 95% CI, 1.91-37.44; P = .005), and placement of an EVD (AOR, 3.48; 95% CI, 1.27-9.58; P = .016) were independently associated with patients undergoing tracheostomy. Higher GCS on hospital day 5 (AOR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.40-0.68; P < 0.001) was protective against tracheostomy. A model of inpatient variables only had a stronger association with tracheostomy than one with admission variables only (ROC AUC 0.93 vs 0.72, P < 0.001) and did not benefit from the addition of admission variables (ROC AUC 0.93 vs 0.92, P = 0.78).

CONCLUSION

Potentially modifiable inpatient factors have a stronger association with tracheostomy than do admission characteristics. Multicenter studies are needed to validate the results.

Earlier tracheostomy and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in patients with hemorrhagic stroke: associated factors and effects on hospitalization

OBJECTIVE

Existing literature supports benefits of early tracheostomy and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) in certain patient populations. The aim of this study was to review tracheostomy and PEG placement data in patients with hemorrhagic stroke in order to identify factors associated with earlier placement and to evaluate outcomes.

METHODS

The authors performed a retrospective review of consecutive patients treated for hemorrhagic stroke between June 1, 2011, and June 1, 2015. Data were analyzed by logistic and multiple linear regression.

RESULTS

Of 240 patients diagnosed with hemorrhagic stroke, 31.25% underwent tracheostomy and 35.83% underwent PEG tube placement. Factors significantly associated with tracheostomy and PEG included the presence of pneumonia on admission and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Earlier tracheostomy was significantly associated with shorter ICU length of stay; earlier tracheostomy and PEG placement were associated with shorter overall hospitalization. Timing of tracheostomy and PEG was not significantly associated with patient survival or the incidence of complications in this population.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified patient risk factors associated with increased likelihood of tracheostomy and PEG in patients with hemorrhagic stroke who were critically ill. Additionally, we found that the timing of tracheostomy was associated with length of ICU stay and overall hospital stay, and that the timing of PEG was associated with overall length of hospitalization. Complication rates related to tracheostomy and PEG in this population were minimal. This retrospective data set supports some benefit to earlier tracheostomy and PEG placement in this population and justifies the need for further prospective study.

Mechanical ventilation in patients with acute ischaemic stroke: from pathophysiology to clinical practice

Most patients with ischaemic stroke are managed on the ward or in specialty stroke units, but a significant number requires higher-acuity care and, consequently, admission to the intensive care unit. Mechanical ventilation is frequently performed in these patients due to swallowing dysfunction and airway or respiratory system compromise. Experimental studies have focused on stroke-induced immunosuppression and brain-lung crosstalk, leading to increased pulmonary damage and inflammation, as well as reduced alveolar macrophage phagocytic capability, which may increase the risk of infection. Pulmonary complications, such as respiratory failure, pneumonia, pleural effusions, acute respiratory distress syndrome, lung oedema, and pulmonary embolism from venous thromboembolism, are common and found to be among the major causes of death in this group of patients. Furthermore, over the past two decades, tracheostomy use has increased among stroke patients, who can have unique indications for this procedure—depending on the location and type of stroke—when compared to the general population. However, the optimal mechanical ventilator strategy remains unclear in this population. Although a high tidal volume (V_T) strategy has been used for many years, the latest evidence suggests that a protective ventilatory strategy (V_T = 6–8 mL/kg predicted body weight, positive end-expiratory pressure and rescue recruitment manoeuvres) may also have a role in brain-damaged patients, including those with stroke. The aim of this narrative review is to explore the pathophysiology of brain-lung interactions after acute ischaemic stroke and the management of mechanical ventilation in these patients.

Extubation Readiness in Critically Ill Stroke Patients

Background and Purpose- Predicting safe extubation represents a clinical challenge in acute stroke patients. Classical respiratory weaning criteria have not proven reliable. Concerning the paramount relevance of postextubation dysphagia in this population, criteria related to airway safety seem to perform better, but diagnostic standards are lacking. We compare clinical and instrumental swallowing examination tools to assess extubation readiness and propose a simple Determine Extubation Failure in Severe Stroke score for decision making. Methods- Data of 133 orally intubated acute stroke patients were prospectively collected in this observational study. Classical extubation criteria, a modified semiquantitative airway score, and an oral motor function score were assessed before extubation. A 3-ounce water swallow test and validated 6-point fiberoptic endoscopic dysphagia severity scoring were performed thereafter. Association of demographic and clinical parameters with extubation failure (EF) was investigated. Independent predictors of EF were translated into a point scoring system. Ideal cutoff values were determined by receiver operator characteristics analyses. Results- Patients with EF (24.1% after 24±43 hours) performed worse in all swallowing assessments (P<0.001). Fiberoptic endoscopic dysphagia severity scoring was the only independent predictor of EF (adjusted odds ratio, 4.2; P<0.007) with optimal cutoff ≥5 (sensitivity 84.6% and specificity 76.5%). Restricting regression analysis to parameters collected before extubation, a 4-item Determine Extubation Failure in Severe Stroke score (duration of ventilation, the examination of oral motor function, infratentorial lesion, and stroke severity) was derived. The score demonstrated excellent discrimination (area under the curve 0.89; 95% CI, 0.83-0.95) and calibration (Nagelkerkes R²=0.54) with an ideal cutoff ≥4 (sensitivity: 81.3% and specificity: 78.2%). Conclusions- Risk of EF is strongly correlated with postextubation dysphagia severity in stroke. Fiberoptic endoscopic examination of swallowing best predicts necessity of reintubation but requires a trial of extubation. The Determine Extubation Failure In Severe Stroke score is based on easy to collect clinical data and may guide extubation decision making in critically ill stroke patients.

Predictors for Tracheostomy with External Validation of the Stroke-Related Early Tracheostomy Score (SETscore)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Ischemic stroke (IS), intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients often require endotracheal intubation (EI) and mechanical ventilation (MV). Predicting the need for prolonged EI and timing of tracheostomy (TR) is challenging. While TR is performed for about 10-15% of patients in the general intensive care unit (ICU), the rate in the neurological ICU and for stroke patients ranges between 15 and 35%. Thus, we performed an external validation of the recently published SETscore.

METHODS

This is a retrospective review for all patients with IS, non-traumatic ICH, and SAH who required intubation within 48 h of admission to the neurological ICU. We compared the SETscore between tracheostomized versus successfully extubated patients, and early TR (within 7 days) versus late TR (after 7 days).

RESULTS

Out of 511 intubated patients, 140 tracheostomized and 105 extubated were included. The sensitivity for a SETscore > 10 to predict the need for TR was 81% (95% CI 74-87%) with a specificity of 57% (95% CI 48-67%). The score had moderate accuracy in correctly identifying those requiring TR and those successfully extubated: 71% (95% CI 65-76%). The AUC of the score was 0.74 (95% CI 0.68-0.81). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify other independent predictors of TR. After including body mass index (BMI), African American (AA) race, ICH and a positive sputum culture in the SETscore, sensitivity, specificity, overall accuracy, and AUC improved to 90%, 78%, 85%, and 0.89 (95% CI 0.85-0.93), respectively. In our cohort, performing early TR was associated with improvement in the ICU median length of stay (LOS) (15 vs 20.5 days; p = 0.002) and mean ventilator duration (VD) (13.4 vs 18.2 days; p = 0.005) in comparison to late TR.

CONCLUSIONS

SETscore is a simple score with a moderate accuracy and with a fair AUC used to predict the need for TR after MV for IS, ICH, and SAH patients. Our study also demonstrates that early TR was associated with a lower ICU LOS and VD in our cohort. The utility of this score may be improved when including additional variables such as BMI, AA race, ICH, and positive sputum cultures.

The Impact of Extubation Failure in Patients with Good-Grade Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the clinical impact of extubation failure (EF) in patients with good-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), in whom a good clinical course usually is expected.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We reviewed the clinical data from 141 patients with SAH and 1) initial Hunt & Hess grade 1-3; 2) induction of general anesthesia for intervention; and 3) the presence of data about the functional outcome. Patients were divided into 3 groups: 1) primary tracheotomized patients (PT); 2) patients with successful extubation (ES); and 3) patients with EF (reintubation within 48 hours).

RESULTS

EF occurred with a rate of 0.12. The leading cause of EF was respiratory insufficiency (n = 7), followed by impaired consciousness (n = 5). Multivariate logistic regression did not show any neurologic predictor of EF. Patients with ES showed an excellent outcome after 6 months (favorable outcome: 95.7%), whereas the outcome of patients with EF and PT was significantly (P < 0.05) poorer. The case fatality rate was nonsignificantly greater in the EF group (0.15 vs. 0.03). Hospitalization was significantly reduced for patients with ES, whereas the occurrence of symptomatic cerebral vasospasms and vasospastic cerebral infarction was similar between patients with EF, ES, or PT.

CONCLUSIONS

We showed that EF is a frequent condition in good grade-SAH but is not predictable using common neurologic parameters. Regarding the functional outcome, we were able to show that the result of an extubation trial clearly delineates the patients in 2 distinct groups, in which ES predicts an excellent outcome.

Decannulation and Functional Outcome After Tracheostomy in Patients with Severe Stroke (DECAST): A Prospective Observational Study

BACKGROUND

Tracheostomy is performed in ventilated stroke patients affected by persisting severe dysphagia, reduced level of consciousness, or prolonged mechanical ventilation. The study aim was to determine the frequency and predictors of successful decannulation and long-term functional outcome in tracheotomized stroke patients.

METHODS

A prospective single-center observational study recruited ventilated patients with ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Follow-up visits were performed at hospital discharge, 3, and 12 months. Competing risk analyses were performed to identify predictors of decannulation.

RESULTS

We included 53 ventilated stroke patients who had tracheostomy. One year after tracheostomy, 19 patients were decannulated (median [IQR] time to decannulation 74 [58-117] days), 13 patients were permanently cannulated, and 21 patients died without prior removal of the cannula. Independent predictors for decannulation in our cohort were patient age (HR 0.95 [95% CI: 0.92-0.99] per one year increase, p = 0.003) and absence of sepsis (HR 4.44 [95% CI: 1.33-14.80], p = 0.008). Compared to surviving patients without cannula removal, decannulated patients had an improved functional outcome after one year (median modified Rankin Scale score 4 vs. 5 [p < 0.001]; median Barthel index 35 vs. 5 [p < 0.001]).

CONCLUSIONS

Decannulation was achieved in 59.4% of stroke patients surviving the first 12 months after tracheostomy and was associated with better functional outcome compared to patients without decannulation. Further prospective studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm our results.

Early versus late tracheostomy after decompressive craniectomy for stroke

Background

Stroke patients requiring decompressive craniectomy are at high risk of prolonged mechanical ventilation and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Tracheostomy placement may reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation. Predicting which patients will require tracheostomy and the optimal timing of tracheostomy remains a clinical challenge. In this study, the authors compare key outcomes after early versus late tracheostomy and develop a useful pre-operative decision-making tool to predict post-operative tracheostomy dependence.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected registry data. We developed a propensity-weighted decision tree analysis to predict tracheostomy requirement using factors present prior to surgical decompression. In addition, outcomes include probability functions for intensive care unit length of stay, hospital length of stay, and mortality, based on data for early (≤ 10 days) versus late (> 10 days) tracheostomy.

Results

There were 168 surgical decompressions performed on patients with acute ischemic or spontaneous hemorrhagic stroke between 2010 and 2015. Forty-eight patients (28.5%) required a tracheostomy, 35 (20.8%) developed VAP, and 126 (75%) survived hospitalization. Mean ICU and hospital length of stay were 15.1 and 25.8 days, respectively. Using GCS, SOFA score, and presence of hydrocephalus, our decision tree analysis had 63% sensitivity and 84% specificity for predicting tracheostomy requirement. The early group had fewer ventilator days (7.3 versus 15.2, p < 0.001) and shorter hospital length of stay (28.5 versus 44.4 days, p = 0.014). VAP rates and mortality were similar between the two groups. Withdrawal of treatment interventions shortly post-operatively confounded mortality outcomes.

Conclusion

Early tracheostomy shortens duration of mechanical ventilation and length of stay after surgical decompression for stroke, but it did not impact mortality or VAP rates. A decision tree is a practical tool that may be helpful in guiding pre-operative decision-making with patients’ families.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s40560-017-0269-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Tracheostomy, Extubation, Reintubation: Airway Management Decisions in Intubated Stroke Patients

BACKGROUND

Both delayed and premature extubation increase complication rate, the need for tracheostomy (TT), the duration of intensive care unit stay, and mortality. In this study, we therefore investigated factors associated with primary TT and predictors for extubation failure (EF) in a sample of severely affected ventilated stroke patients.

METHODS

One hundred eighty five intubated stroke patients were prospectively analyzed in this observational study. Patients not meeting predefined clinical and respiratory extubation criteria received a TT. All other patients were extubated and followed up for the need of reintubation. Characteristics of patients with and without extubation attempt were examined. Additionally, within the group of extubated patients, subgroups of successfully vs. unsuccessfully extubated patients were compared. Clinical factors associated with reintubation, including a previously established semi-quantitative airway score, were determined and predictors of EF were assessed.

RESULTS

Ninety-eight of 185 patients (53%) were primarily extubated; EF rate was 37% (36 patients). Eighty-seven (47%) were tracheostomized without a prior extubation attempt. Primarily tracheostomized patients had more severe strokes, which were more often hemorrhagic, presented with a lower level of consciousness, needed neurosurgical intervention more often, had a higher rate of obesity, and were more frequently intubated because of suspicion of compromised protective reflexes. EF was independently predicted by prior neurosurgical treatment and low airway management scores. No differences were found for the ability to follow simple commands and classical weaning criteria.

CONCLUSION

Airway management decisions in intubated stroke patients represent a clinical challenge. Classical weaning criteria and parameters reflecting the patient's state of consciousness are not reliably predictive of extubation success. Criteria more closely related to airway safety and secretion handling may provide the most relevant information and should therefore be assessed by specific clinical scoring systems.

Airway management and mechanical ventilation in acute brain injury

Patients with acute neurologic disease often develop respiratory failure, the management of which profoundly affects brain physiology and long-term functional outcomes. This chapter reviews airway management and mechanical ventilation of patients with acute brain injury, offering practical strategies to optimize treatment of respiratory failure and minimize secondary brain injury. Specific concerns that are addressed include physiologic changes during intubation and ventilation such as the effects on intracranial pressure and brain perfusion; cervical spine management during endotracheal intubation; the role of tracheostomy; and how ventilation and oxygenation are utilized to minimize ischemia-reperfusion injury and cerebral metabolic distress.