Table 2 Characteristics of patients with COVID-19 infection who underwent open versus percutaneous tracheostomy

Age (median) (p25-p75)

66.0 (57.5 – 72.00)

63.0 (56.2 – 71.0)

67.0 (58.0 – 72.5)

0.352^*

Sex

0.072

 Male

77 (68.1)

23 (57.5)

54 (73.9)

 Female

36 (31.8)

17 (42.5)

19 (26.0)

BMI (median) (p25-p75)

27.2 (23.5 – 31.2)

27.8 (22.5 – 31.7)

27.2 (23.7 – 29.7)

0.810^*

Comorbidities

 Arterial hypertension

58 (51.3)

20 (50.0)

38 (52.0)

0.834

 Diabetes mellitus

35 (30.9)

14 (35.0)

21 (28.7)

0.493

 Cardiovascular disease

12 (10.6)

3 (7.5)

9 (12.3)

0.426

 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

20 (17.6)

7 (17.5)

13 (17.8)

0.967

 Chronic kidney disease

19 (16.8)

4 (10.0)

15 (20.5)

0.152

 Oncologic disease

9 (7.9)

5 (12.5)

4 (5.4)

0.187

SOFA (median) (p25-p75)

7.0 (4.5 – 9.0)

8.0 (5.2 – 9.0)

6.0 (3.5 – 8.5)

0.017^*

APACHE II (median) (p25-p75)

16.0 (12.0 – 21.0)

18.0 (13.0 – 23.0)

15.0 (11.5 – 20.5)

0.099^*

PaO₂/FiO₂ intubation (median) (p25-p75)

79.0 (67.0 – 100.0)

83.0 (70.2 – 98.7)

78.0 (65.0 – 100.0)

0.347^*

PaO₂/FiO₂ tracheostomy (median) (p25-p75)

150 (118.5 – 185.5)

162.0 (131.5 – 203.5)

147.0 (113.0 – 180.0)

0.141^*

Intubation days (median) (p25-p75)

17.0 (14.0 – 20.5)

16.0 (14.0 – 18.0)

17.0 (14.0 – 21.0)

0.233^*

Time of tracheostomy

0.808

 Early

24 (21.2)

9 (22.5)

15 (20.5)

 Late

89 (78.7)

31 (77.5)

58 (79.4)

Mechanical ventilation Day 0

 Tidal volume (mL) (median) (p25- p75)

420 (400–450)

420 (397.5–457.5)

420 (400–450)

0.746^*

 Plateau pressure (cmH₂O) (median) (p25- p75)

23 (21–25)

22.5 (21.75–25.25)

23 (20–25)

0.475^*

 Compliance static (mL/cmH₂O) (median) (p25- p75)

32.3 (27.6–44.4)

31.4 (26.25–39.8)

34.6 (28.5–44.4)

0.367^*

 PEEP (cmH₂O) (median) (p25- p75)

10 (10–12)

10 (10–12)

10 (10–12)

0.881^*

 Driving pressure (cmH₂O) (median) (p25- p75)

12 (10–14)

12.5 (10.75–14)

12 (10–14)

0.633^*

Mechanical ventilation Day 4

 Tidal volume (mL) (median) (p25- p75)

430 (400–467.5)

409 (396.5–470)

430 (412.5–460)

0.261^*

 Plateau pressure (cmH₂O) (median) (p25- p75)

24 (22–26)

25 (23–27)

23.5 (21.2–25)

0.069^*

 Compliance static (mL/cmH₂O) (median) (p25- p75)

33.8 (28.2–42)

29.3 (26.6–39.4)

35 (31.4–41.5)

0.137^*

 PEEP (cmH₂O) (median) (p25- p75)

12 (10–12)

12 (10–12)

12 (10–12)

0.876^*

 Driving pressure (cmH₂O) (median) (p25- p75)

13 (10–14)

14 (11–15)

12 (10–14)

0.126^*

Days in hospital (median) (p25-p75)

38.0 (28.0 – 54.0)

44.0 (33.0 – 56.7)

35.0 (24.0 – 50.5)

0.012^*

Days in ICU (median) (p25-p75)

28.0 (22.0 – 38.0)

29.0 (25.0 – 29.0)

27.0 (20.5 – 35.0)

0.180^*

Decannulation

39 (34.5)

26 (65.0)

13 (17.8)

< 0.001

Complications

 Bleeding

7 (6.1)

1 (2.5)

6 (8.2)

0.228

 Surgical wound infection

2 (1.76)

1 (2.5)

1 (1.3)

0.663

 Pneumothorax

1 (0.88)

0 (0.0)

1 (1.3)

0.457

 Pneumomediastinum

1 (0.8)

1 (2.5)

0 (0.0)

0.175

 Subcutaneous emphysema

2 (1.7)

1 (2.5)

1 (1.3)

0.663

 Cardiac arrest

2 (1.7)

1 (2.5)

1 (1.3)

0.663

 Laryngotracheal stenosis

1 (0.8)

0 (0.0)

1 (1.3)

0.457

Reintervention

6 (5.3)

2 (5.0)

4 (5.4)

0.913

In-hospital mortality

58 (51.3)

10 (25.0)

48 (65.7)

< 0.001