COVIDTrach; the outcomes of mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients undergoing tracheostomy in the UK: Interim Report
Abstract
COVIDTrach is a UK multidisciplinary collaborative project that aims to evaluate the outcomes of tracheostomy in COVID-19 patients. An invitation to participate in an online survey tool (REDCap) was disseminated to all UK NHS departments involved in tracheostomy in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients. Fifty-two percent (n=219/465) of patients who had undergone tracheostomy and were still alive, had been successfully weaned from mechanical ventilation at the point of completing the survey. The all cause in-hospital mortality following tracheostomy was 12% (n=62/530), with 3% of these (n=2/62) due to tracheostomy related complications and the remaining deaths due to COVID-19 related complications. Amongst 400 cases submitting data two weeks after the tracheostomy, no instance of COVID-19 infection amongst operators was recorded. This interim report highlights early outcomes following tracheostomy in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients. Future reporting from COVIDTrach will include more detailed analysis at later timepoints using comparator groups in order to provide a more comprehensive assessment of tracheostomy in COVID-19.
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