Table 3 Characteristics of patients with COVID-19 infection who underwent early versus late tracheostomy

Age (median) (p25-p75)

66.0 (57.5 – 72.00)

68.0 (60.7 – 71.0)

64.0 (56.5 – 73.0)

0.413

Sex

0.861

 Male

77 (68.1)

16 (66.6)

61 (68.5)

 Female

36 (31.8)

8 (33.3)

28 (31.4)

BMI (median) (p25-p75)

27.2 (23.5 – 31.2)

26.2 (23.7 – 29.6)

27.3 (23.4 – 31.5)

0.603^*

Comorbidities

 Arterial hypertension

58 (51.3)

15 (62.5)

43 (48.3)

0.217

 Diabetes mellitus

35 (30.9)

8 (33.3)

27 (30.3)

0.778

 Cardiovascular disease

12 (10.6)

1 (4.1)

11 (12.3)

0.248

 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

20 (17.6)

9 (37.5)

11 (12.3)

0.004

 Chronic kidney disease

19 (16.8)

5 (20.8)

14 (15.7)

0.553

 Oncologic disease

9 (7.9)

1 (4.1)

8 (8.9)

0.439

SOFA (median) (p25-p75)

7.0 (4.5 – 9.0)

6.0 (5.0 – 9.0)

7.0 (4.0 – 9.0)

0.989^*

APACHE II (median) (p25-p75)

16.0 (12.0 – 21.0)

17.5 (12.0 – 23.7)

15.0 (12.0 – 21.0)

0.471^*

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

79.0 (67.0 – 100.0)

82.5 (68.0 – 115.2)

78.0 (67.0 – 98.5)

0.489^*

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

150 (118.5 – 185.5)

143.5 (99.5 – 179.0)

155.0 (125.0 – 192.0)

0.179^*

Intubation days (median) (p25-p75)

17.0 (14.0 – 20.5)

12.0 (10.0. – 13.0)

17.0 (15.5 – 22.0)

< 0.001^*

Type of tracheostomy

0.808

 Percutaneous

40 (30.0)

9 (37.5)

31 (34.8)

 Open

73 (64.6)

15 (62.5)

58 (65.1)

Days in hospital (median) (p25-p75)

38.0 (28.0 – 54.0)

30.5 (19.2 – 45.5)

40.0 (31.0 – 55.00)

0.009^*

Days in ICU (median) (p25-p75)

28.0 (22.0 – 38.0)

19.5 ( 16.2 – 27.7)

29.0 (25.0 – 39.0)

< 0.001^*

Decannulation

39 (34.5)

4 (16.6)

35 (39.3)

0.038

Complications

 Bleeding

7 (6.1)

2 (8.3)

5 (5.6)

0.624

 Surgical wound infection

2 (1.7)

0 (0.0)

2 (2.2)

0.459

 Pneumothorax

1 (0.8)

0 (0.0)

1 (1.1)

0.602

 Pneumomediastinum

1 (0.8)

0 (0.0)

1 (1.1)

0.602

 Subcutaneous emphysema

2 (1.7)

1 (4.1)

1 (1.1)

0.316

 Cardiac arrest

2 (1.7)

2 (8.3)

0 (0.0)

0.006

 Laryngotracheal stenosis

1 (0.8)

0 (0.0)

1 (1.1)

0.602

Reintervention

6 (5.3)

1 (4.1)

5 (5.6)

0.778

In-hospital mortality

58 (51.3)

17 (70.8)

41 (46.0)

0.031