Bedside Tracheostomy for Pediatric Critically Ill patients in PICU: Clinical Experience in a Single center

Bedside Tracheostomy for Pediatric Critically Ill patients in PICU: Clinical Experience in a Single center | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Bedside Tracheostomy for Pediatric Critically Ill patients in PICU: Clinical Experience in a Single center Young Tae Lim, Jung Eun Kwon This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4982695/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Children with neurological impairments, especially those who are bedridden, may require additional care services beyond what is available for the general pediatric population, and tracheostomy may be necessary for addressing respiratory problems, but no established consensus or clear guidelines have been established on the optimal timing of this procedure in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Methods We conducted a study involving 39 bedridden patients with neurological impairments who underwent tracheostomy in the PICU from January 2017 to December 2022. We collected demographic, tracheostomy, and outcome data and compared the data between two groups based on the duration of mechanical ventilation before tracheostomy. Results The patients had heterogeneous neurological conditions, with refractory epilepsy being the most common. Almost all patients received tracheostomy for prolonged mechanical ventilation, with a median duration of 14.5 days of mechanical ventilation before the procedure. A majority of the patients (60.5%) experienced complications related to tracheostomy. The overall mortality rate was 36.8%, with 7.9% directly related to tracheostomy. When the patients were divided into two groups based on the median duration of mechanical ventilation before tracheostomy, the group that received tracheostomy earlier had significantly shorter total PICU stay and hospitalization stay compared to the group that received it later. Conclusions Tracheostomy is a procedure necessary for resolving respiratory difficulties in children with neurological impairments who are typically bedridden. As complications and mortality rates can be high in this population, careful and appropriate care is necessary. bedridden patient child critical care mortality pediatric intensive care unit tracheostomy Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Background Children with neurological impairments may face challenges that are not present in their healthy peers. Respiratory problems are among the most common issues that children with neurological impairments may experience. Because of neurological impairments, patients who are bedridden are at an increased risk for respiratory problems because of several risk factors, such as recurrent aspiration, poor airway clearance, respiratory muscle weakness, kyphoscoliosis, and sleep apnea.[ 1 ] Therefore, healthcare services that are designed for the general pediatric population may not be sufficient to address these issues, and additional care services are necessary.[ 2 ] Tracheostomy involves the creation of an opening in the anterior wall of the trachea to facilitate ventilation and airway access, which is frequently performed in adult intensive care units. However, pediatric patients do not require tracheostomies as frequently as adults, with the procedure being performed in approximately 3% of pediatric and adolescent patients receiving mechanical ventilation.[ 3 ] Despite its lower frequency in the pediatric population, tracheostomy is often a necessary procedure for addressing respiratory problems in children with neurological impairments.[ 4 ] Despite the recognized need for tracheostomy in pediatric patients with neurological impairments, no consensus or clear guidelines have been established on the optimal timing of this procedure for those receiving mechanical ventilation in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Several factors should be considered when determining the appropriate timing of tracheostomy, including the predictability of the disease course, expertise and resources of the healthcare center, and parental anxiety. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the demographic characteristics and tracheostomy utilization among bedridden pediatric patients with neurological impairments who underwent tracheostomy in the PICU of a tertiary medical institution. Methods Patients and Data We enrolled patients aged between 1 month and 18 years who were admitted to the PICU and underwent tracheostomy between January 2017 and December 2022 at a tertiary care medical institution. This hospital can accommodate patients with critical illness in all pediatric departments. The inclusion criteria were limited to patients who had neurological impairments and were in a bedridden state at the time of tracheostomy. Patients without neurological impairments upon PICU admission and those who underwent tracheostomy in a different location, such as the neonatal intensive care unit, were excluded from the study. The electronic medical records were retrospectively analyzed to extract the following information: age and weight at the time of tracheostomy, sex, underlying disease, indication for tracheostomy (e.g., long term mechanical ventilation or airway obstruction), Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score on PICU admission, presence of central venous access devices and gastrostomy at the time of tracheostomy, use of inotropes at the time of tracheostomy, presence of kyphoscoliosis, failure to thrive (FTT) at the time of tracheostomy, tracheostomy-related complications, and mortality. Tracheostomy-related complications were classified as early (within 1–7 days) or late (> 7 days). FTT was defined as a bodyweight less than the 3rd percentile for age. The duration of the hospital and PICU stay and time from the procedure to discharge were calculated. Tracheostomy Clinical Approach Before tracheostomy, the attending physician provided a detailed explanation to the patient’s caregivers regarding the necessity of the procedure, its safety, and potential postoperative complications. Tracheostomy was performed only after obtaining consent from the caregivers. An experienced otolaryngologist performed a tracheostomy at the patient’s bedside in the PICU, and the intensivist administered midazolam, ketamine, dexmedetomidine, and rocuronium as preoperative and intraoperative medications. Patients’ blood pressure, heart rate, heart rhythm, and oxygen saturation were monitored during the procedure. The patients were kept in the PICU until their vital signs were stable and their general condition was good, after which they were transferred to the general ward. The caregivers were trained and informed about tracheostomy management by the medical staff before discharge. After discharge, tracheostomy status was regularly monitored and assessed through follow-up appointments with the pediatric and otolaryngology departments. Statistical Analysis IBM SPSS Statistics version 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) was used to perform statistical analyses. Continuous variables were expressed as the median and interquartile range (25th–75th percentiles), and nominal variables were expressed as numbers and percentages. Mann–Whitney U-tests were used to compare continuous variables, and chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test was used for categorical variables. Statistical significance was set at P < .05. Ethics Statement This study was reviewed and approved by Institutional Review Board of Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital (IRB no. 2022-11-23). This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Results Patient Characteristics During the study period (January 2017 to December 2022), 56 patients aged < 18 years underwent tracheostomy. Neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (n = 9) and patients without neurological impairments (n = 9) were excluded. Ultimately, the study included 38 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Of the 38 patients included in the study, 19 (50%) were male, with a median age of 7.3 (IQR 0.9–13) years at the time of tracheostomy. The age of the patients ranged from 45 days to 17.4 years, and 10 (26.3%) patients were < 1 year old. At the time of tracheostomy, the median body weight was 14.6 (IQR 8.6–19.7) kg, and 17 (44.7%) patients were in a state of FTT. Upon PICU admission, the median GCS score for the 38 patients was 10 (IQR 6.3–13.0) points. Moreover, 44.7% (17/38) of the patients had kyphoscoliosis, and 34.2% (13/38) had a gastrostomy. Central venous access devices were present in 73.7% (28/38) of the patients at the time of tracheostomy, and 28.9% (11/38) were receiving inotropic agents (Table 1 ). All 38 patients presented with neurological impairments and were bedridden. The etiology of their neurological conditions was heterogeneous, with refractory epilepsy being the most common in 12 (31.6%) patients, followed by hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in 6 (15.8%) patients and cerebral palsy (CP) in 4 (10.5%) patients. The remaining patients were diagnosed with various conditions (Fig. 1 ). Table 1 Demographics of the patients (n = 38) Variable Value Male sex 19 (50) Age at tracheostomy (years) 7.3 (0.9–13) Weight at tracheostomy (kg) 14.6 (8.6–19.7) GCS score at PICU admission 10 (6.3–13) Kyphoscoliosis 17 (44.7) FTT 17 (44.7) Gastrostomy 13 (34.2) Central venous access 28 (73.7) Inotrope use 11 (28.9) Values are presented as number (%) or median (interquartile range). FTT, failure to thrive; GCS, Glasgow Coma Scale; PICU, pediatric intensive care unit Tracheostomy Data The majority of the patients (n = 36, 94.7%) received tracheostomy for prolonged mechanical ventilation caused by chronic respiratory failure and failed ventilator weaning. The remaining two patients received tracheostomy to manage airway obstruction. One patient had subglottic stenosis, and the other had airway obstruction due to a craniofacial anomaly. All patients had undergone intubation and mechanical ventilation before tracheostomy. The median duration of mechanical ventilation before tracheostomy was 14.5 (IQR 6.8–20) days (Table 2 ). Table 2 Data-related tracheostomy (n = 38) Variable Value Tracheostomy indications Prolonged mechanical ventilation 36 (94.7) Airway obstruction 2 (5.3) MV before tracheostomy 38 (100) MV duration before tracheostomy (day) 14.5 (6.8–20) Decannulation of tracheostomy 0 (0) Values are presented as a number (%) or median (interquartile range). MV, mechanical ventilation. Outcome Data The median length of PICU stay was 30 (IQR 19–41.5) days, and the median length of hospital stay was 42 (IQR 28.5–54) days. In addition, the median time from tracheostomy to discharge was 20.5 (IQR 15–38.8) days (Table 3 ). Table 3 Data-related outcomes (n = 38) Variable Value Length of PICU stay (day) 30 (19–41.5) Time from tracheostomy to discharge (day) 20.5 (15–38.8) Total hospital stay (day) 42 (28.5–54) Number of tracheostomy-related complications 29 Early complications 4 (13.8) Late complications 25 (86.2) Mortality after tracheostomy 14 (36.8) Tracheostomy-related mortality 3 (7.9) Values are presented as a number (%) or median (interquartile range). MV, mechanical ventilation. A majority of the patients (60.5%) experienced tracheostomy-related complications. In total, 29 complications were identified in 23 patients (Table 3 ), with 4 occurring within 7 days of tracheostomy (early complications) and the remaining 25 occurring after 7 days of tracheostomy (late complications). The most frequent complication was granulation formation, which was observed in 15 patients (52%). None of these cases required surgical intervention, and all were managed with topical treatment. Other complications included accidental decannulation (4), wound ulceration (3), bleeding (3), pressure sores (2), and tube occlusion (1). Three cases resulted in serious consequences or death. One early complication was accidental decannulation, which occurred 48 h after tracheostomy, resulting in the patient’s death as the tube was not properly reinserted. The remaining two cases were delayed complications: one patient required surgery for the right brachiocephalic artery tear during tube replacement and the other patient died from accidental decannulation while at home. In this study, the overall mortality rate was 36.8% (14 of 38 patients). Of these, three deaths (7.9%) were directly related to tracheostomy, whereas the remaining deaths were attributed to the underlying medical conditions of the patients (Table 3 ). Among the tracheostomy-related deaths, the first case was caused by accidental decannulation that occurred 48 h after the procedure. The second case was caused by massive bleeding that occurred during a routine outpatient visit, which was confirmed by neck computed tomography to be caused by an injury to the right brachiocephalic artery. A vascular surgeon inserted the stent at the lesion site. Approximately 3 months later, the patient experienced another episode of massive bleeding through the tracheostomy and died from rapid treatment not being available, with the previous injury to the artery suspected as the cause. The last patient died from accidental decannulation that occurred while the patient was at home. Four of the deceased patients died while undergoing observation and treatment after tracheostomy, while the remaining 10 died during follow-up after being discharged from the hospital after tracheostomy. Among the 38 patients who underwent tracheostomy, four expired while undergoing observation and treatment at the hospital, whereas 34 were discharged in satisfactory general condition. Following hospital discharge, 10 of these patients died during follow-up through regular outpatient treatment, whereas the remaining 24 are currently alive (Fig. 2 ). None of the patients underwent decannulation, and all surviving patients continued to perform home ventilation through tracheostomy. Comparison of Groups by Duration of Mechanical Ventilation before Tracheostomy In this study, the median duration of mechanical ventilation before tracheostomy was 14.5 (IQR 6.8–20) days. To further investigate the effect of mechanical ventilation duration on patient outcomes, the patients were divided into two groups based on the median duration. Group A consisted of patients who received mechanical ventilation for 14 days. Statistically significant differences in the total PICU stay and hospitalization stay were found between the two groups, with group A having shorter times for both factors (P < 0.001 and 0.0003, respectively). The study also examined other patient characteristics and found no differences between the two groups in terms of sex, tracheostomy indications, age at tracheostomy, weight at tracheostomy, GCS score upon PICU admission, presence of central venous access devices at the time of tracheostomy, use of inotropes at the time of tracheostomy, presence of kyphoscoliosis and FTT at the time of tracheostomy, time from the procedure to discharge, complications, or mortality (Table 4 ). Table 4 Comparison of groups divided by the mechanical ventilation application period before tracheostomy Variable Group A (n = 19) Group B (n = 19) P-value Sex Male 7 (36.8) 12 (63.2) 0.105 Female 12 (63.2) 7 (36.8) Indications for tracheostomy Prolonged mechanical ventilation 17 (89.5) 19 (100) 0.486 Airway obstruction 2 (10.5) 0 (0) Age at tracheostomy (years) 8.1 (1.5–12.9) 4.7 (1.1–12.4) 0.43 Weight at tracheostomy (kg) 14.2 (9.7–17.1) 17 (8.7–22.9) 0.54 Gastrostomy 10 (52.6) 3(15.8) 0.017 Central venous line 13 (68.4) 15 (78.9) 0.461 Inotrope use 5 (26.3) 6 (31.6) 0.721 GCS score 11 (7.5–15) 9 (6–11.5) 0.076 Kyphoscoliosis 11(57.9) 6 (31.6) 0.103 FTT 6 (31.6) 11(57.9) 0.103 Complications 13 (68.4) 10 (52.6) 0.319 Death 8 (42.1) 6 (31.6) 0.501 Total hospital stay (day) 30 (22–44) 51 (41.5–76) 0.003 Total PICU stay (day) 19 (17.5–25.5) 40 (31.5–42.5) < 0.001 Time from the procedure to discharge (day) 19 (14–33.5) 24 (17.5–44.5) 0.184 Values are presented as number (%) or median (interquartile range). MV, mechanical ventilation; PICU, pediatric intensive care unit. Discussion Compared with the past, significant changes have been made in the indications for pediatric tracheostomy at present. Previously, upper airway obstruction caused by viral and bacterial infections such as croup, diphtheria, and epiglottitis were the most common indications for pediatric tracheostomy. However, with the development of vaccines and antibiotics, the incidence of these infections causing airway obstruction has decreased.[ 5 ] In addition, advances in critical care have improved the survival rate of pediatric patients with critical illness requiring prolonged respiratory support, including premature infants.[ 3 ] As a result, the indications for pediatric tracheostomy have shifted. A Canadian study of pediatric tracheostomy in 30 years found that infection-related tracheostomies decreased, whereas those due to neurological impairments increased significantly.[ 6 ] Similarly, a 20-year study of tracheostomies in the PICU in India found that upper airway obstruction was the most common indication in the early 10 years, whereas central neurological impairment was the most common indication in the later 10 years.[ 7 ] Currently, the most frequent indications for tracheostomy in children are congenital upper airway anomalies causing airway obstruction or prolonged mechanical ventilation due to respiratory failure. Neurological diseases leading to a bedridden state often require prolonged mechanical ventilation. Children with neurological impairments are more susceptible to respiratory insufficiency than their healthy counterparts. Malnutrition-related respiratory muscle wasting in the presence of neurological impairments leads to ineffective breathing, and frequent aspiration and decreased cough efficacy with retention of secretions increases the likelihood of recurrent and chronic lung infections. Hypoxemia due to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is also common in these patients. Thus, children with neurological impairments are at risk of respiratory failure and often require respiratory support such as mechanical ventilation.[ 1 , 8 ] Tracheostomy may offer specific advantages to children with neurological impairments who are dependent on ventilation. It can reduce the sedation requirement, increase the duration of awake and interactive periods with caregivers, and facilitate discharge from the PICU to an appropriate supported environment, such as home, rather than hospital.[ 9 ] Therefore, tracheostomy should be considered in children with neurological impairments requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation. This study investigated the characteristics of pediatric patients with neurological impairments who underwent tracheostomy. The patients were typically bedridden because of underlying diseases, with refractory epilepsy being the most common, followed by HIE and CP (Fig. 1 ). Upon hospital admission, the median GCS score was 10 (IQR 6.3–13) points, indicating moderate brain injury. Nearly half of the patients had kyphoscoliosis and FTT at the time of tracheostomy, and some patients also had gastrostomy. In addition, the majority of patients who received tracheostomy had central venous access, and nearly all patients underwent tracheostomy for prolonged mechanical ventilation. Given the scarcity of studies specifically investigating pediatric tracheostomy in patients with neurological impairments, the information presented here can help identify the characteristics of this patient population. No consensus or guidelines have been established for the appropriate timing for tracheostomy in children with neurological impairments who require prolonged mechanical ventilation in the PICU. Wakeham et al. [ 10 ] conducted a study on tracheostomy use in 82 North American PICUs and found significant variations in both the rate and timing of tracheostomy use across different units. This variability appears to be influenced by local PICU characteristics, available resources, unit practice patterns, and practitioner attitudes toward tracheostomy. Establishing a consensus and guideline for pediatric tracheostomy timing is challenging because of the heterogeneity and complexity of potential risks associated with underlying diseases in patients requiring tracheostomy. Several recent studies have investigated the optimal timing for tracheostomy in pediatric patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation in the PICU.[ 11 – 13 ] All these studies compared and analyzed early and late groups based on an intubation period of 14 days, and similar results were obtained. Early tracheostomy was found to be associated with lower rates of complications, higher rates of successful weaning, and decreased utilization of intensive care resources. Moreover, it was linked to a reduction in the duration of mechanical ventilation, length of PICU stay, and overall hospital stay. The underlying diseases of the patients included in the above three studies were heterogeneous. In this study of patients with neurological conditions, the median duration of mechanical ventilation before tracheostomy was 14.5 (IQR, 6.8–20) days. To compare the outcomes of early versus late tracheostomy, patients were divided into two groups based on the median value, and a comparative analysis was conducted. A statistically significant difference was found between the early and late groups in terms of total hospital stay and length of PICU stay, with both being shorter in the early group (p = 0.003, p < 0.001). However, no significant difference was found in the complication or mortality rate between the two groups. These findings provide valuable insights into the effect of mechanical ventilation duration on patient outcomes and suggest that shorter durations of mechanical ventilation may be associated with shorter total PICU and hospital stay. In this study, which focused solely on patients with neurologic diseases, tracheostomy-related complications occurred in approximately two-thirds of the patients (23/38, 60.5%). Granuloma formation was the most commonly observed complication, and none of the cases required surgical removal. Most of these complications were detected during the regular follow-up and were treated topically. A recently published systematic review of tracheostomy-related complications in children found an average complication rate of 40%, with rates varying based on factors such as age, birthweight, prematurity, comorbidities, and whether the procedure was elective or performed as an emergency. Consistent with our study, the most common complications reported were granulomas and cutaneous lesions.[ 14 ] Another cross-sectional analysis of pediatric tracheostomy-related complications examined a total of 5,309 tracheostomies and reported a complication rate of 8%.[ 15 ] Recent single-center studies have reported complication rates ranging from 25–55% [ 16 – 19 ], which may vary depending on the characteristics of the underlying disease or patient age. The study participants were patients who required tracheostomy for home ventilation and did not require decannulation, indicating that tracheostomy was necessary in the long term. Given this, the complication rate observed in our study is expected to be higher than that in other studies. Therefore, active collaboration between healthcare providers and caregivers is essential to prevent tracheostomy-related complications in patients with neurological impairments. The mortality rate can vary depending on the composition of the study participants. Recent single-center studies with heterogeneous patient etiologies reported an overall mortality rate of 17–37% and a tracheostomy-related mortality rate of 1.2–27%.[ 17 , 18 , 20 , 21 ] In this study, the overall mortality and tracheostomy-related mortality rates were 36.8% and 7.9%, respectively, which is consistent with the findings of other single-center studies. In a study involving 917 children who underwent tracheostomy, the relationship between comorbid clinical conditions and mortality was analyzed. The study found that mortality rates and hospital-resource utilization were higher in cases with neurological impairments.[ 22 ] Furthermore, other studies have reported that severe neurocognitive disability and seizures were associated with high mortality rates.[ 20 , 21 ] Two tracheostomy-related deaths were attributed to accidental decannulation, which could have been prevented with timely and appropriate intervention by medical staff. Patients with neurologic diseases are at a higher risk of mortality following tracheostomy than other disease groups, underscoring the need for vigilant attention and care from both medical staff and caregivers. This study has several limitations that should be considered when interpreting the findings. First, it was a retrospective analysis of medical records from a single institution, which raises the possibility of missing data. Second, the sample size was relatively small, which limited the statistical power of the Cox proportional hazards regression analysis used to identify mortality-related risk factors. Therefore, more robust and reliable results can be obtained through a prospective multicenter study that overcomes these limitations. However, unlike other single-center studies that focus on a heterogeneous population, this study exclusively includes bedridden patients with neurological impairments, providing unique insights into their tracheostomy use and characteristics. In addition, the study highlights the significant reduction in total hospital and PICU stay associated with early tracheostomy, which may aid in decision-making for patients with neurological impairments requiring tracheostomy in the future. Children with neurological impairments who are typically bedridden may experience respiratory difficulties, which can be addressed through tracheostomy. Patients with neurological impairments may present with comorbidities such as kyphoscoliosis, FTT, and dependence on gastrostomy and central venous access. This study categorized patients based on the timing of tracheostomy and found that the early tracheostomy group had significantly shorter hospital and PICU stay than the late group. Given the potential for high complications and mortality rates in this patient population, careful and appropriate care by medical staff and caregivers is crucial. Abbreviations PICU Pediatric Intensive Care Unit GCS Glasgow Coma Scale FTT Failure To Thrive HIE Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate The study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, which granted an exemption from obtaining patient informed consent (IRB no. 2022-11-23). This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Consent for publication Not applicable Clinical trial number Not applicable Availability of data and materials The datasets analyzed or generated during the study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Funding The authors received no funding for this study. Authors’ contributions Conceptualization, J.E.K..; Formal analysis, Y.T.L.; Methodology, Y.T.L.; Project administration, Y.T.L. and J.E.K.; Software, Y.T.L. and J.E K.; Supervision, J.E K.; Writing—original draft, Y.T.L.; Writing—review and editing, Y.T.L. and J.E.K. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Acknowledgements Not applicable Additional file None References Seddon PC, Khan Y. Respiratory problems in children with neurological impairment. Arch Dis Child. 2003;88:75–8. Peterson-Carmichael SL, Cheifetz IM. The chronically critically ill patient: pediatric considerations. Respir Care. 2012;57:993–1003. Watters KF. Tracheostomy in Infants and Children. Respir Care. 2017;62:799–825. Kontorinis G, Thevasagayam MS, Bateman ND. Airway obstruction in children with cerebral palsy: need for tracheostomy? Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2013;77:1647–50. Campisi P, Forte V. Pediatric tracheostomy. Semin Pediatr Surg. 2016;25:191–5. 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Roberts J, Powell J, Begbie J, Siou G, McLarnon C, Welch A, et al. Pediatric tracheostomy: A large single-center experience. Laryngoscope. 2020;130:E375–80. Can FK, Anıl AB, Anıl M, Gümüşsoy M, Çitlenbik H, Kandoğan T, et al. The outcomes of children with tracheostomy in a tertiary care pediatric intensive care unit in Turkey. Turk Pediatri Ars. 2018;53:177–84. Teplitzky TB, Brown AF, Brooks RL, Bailey CH, Whitney C, Sewell A, et al. Mortality Among Children with a Tracheostomy. Laryngoscope. 2023;133:403–9. Hebbar KB, Kasi AS, Vielkind M, McCracken CE, Ivie CC, Prickett KK, et al. Mortality and Outcomes of Pediatric Tracheostomy Dependent Patients. Front Pediatr. 2021;9:661512. Berry JG, Graham DA, Graham RJ, Zhou J, Putney HL, O'Brien JE, et al. Predictors of clinical outcomes and hospital resource use of children after tracheotomy. Pediatrics. 2009;124:563–72. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4982695","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":362583294,"identity":"6312bdda-665f-44c1-80fc-2df701b39b64","order_by":0,"name":"Young Tae Lim","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Kyungpook National University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Young","middleName":"Tae","lastName":"Lim","suffix":""},{"id":362583295,"identity":"77791677-0d79-4ce5-844a-01d6d5f5895b","order_by":1,"name":"Jung Eun Kwon","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAvklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACxgY2EGVjAOUnEK0ljQQtDAxgLYdJ0MLc3pYm8XHHeWNziQTGDz8Y0vIJO6zn2DHJmWdum1nOSGCW7GHIsWwgqGVGettt3rbbNgY3EhikGRgqDAjpYGCc/xyk5RxIC/Nv4rTMYDsG1HLADKiFDWhLDhFaetLSf85sSzY2OPOwzbLHII2wFsP2Y8YGH9vsDDccTz5840dFMhFaGhAWApmENTAwyBOhZhSMglEwCkY6AAA8DznjSBrZ5gAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Kyungpook National University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jung","middleName":"Eun","lastName":"Kwon","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-08-27 08:17:32","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4982695/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4982695/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":67119041,"identity":"71819a2f-85c0-437f-b75f-763a9f82303b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-10-21 10:57:21","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":45055,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eEtiology of patient’s neurological conditions\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure1.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4982695/v1/1b1410314296a18549617e08.jpg"},{"id":67119043,"identity":"1e92faca-6db4-403e-87cc-311155b1dc00","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-10-21 10:57:22","extension":"jpg","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":23467,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eOutcome\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure2.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4982695/v1/cb20d14635d300b892a4a819.jpg"},{"id":92088791,"identity":"31cc2517-969e-4dc3-97ee-8a64ff98614a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-24 13:17:16","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":707838,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4982695/v1/fb8e562d-8af8-40e8-b32b-30e442683f00.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Bedside Tracheostomy for Pediatric Critically Ill patients in PICU: Clinical Experience in a Single center","fulltext":[{"header":"Background","content":"\u003cp\u003eChildren with neurological impairments may face challenges that are not present in their healthy peers. Respiratory problems are among the most common issues that children with neurological impairments may experience. Because of neurological impairments, patients who are bedridden are at an increased risk for respiratory problems because of several risk factors, such as recurrent aspiration, poor airway clearance, respiratory muscle weakness, kyphoscoliosis, and sleep apnea.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e] Therefore, healthcare services that are designed for the general pediatric population may not be sufficient to address these issues, and additional care services are necessary.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTracheostomy involves the creation of an opening in the anterior wall of the trachea to facilitate ventilation and airway access, which is frequently performed in adult intensive care units. However, pediatric patients do not require tracheostomies as frequently as adults, with the procedure being performed in approximately 3% of pediatric and adolescent patients receiving mechanical ventilation.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e] Despite its lower frequency in the pediatric population, tracheostomy is often a necessary procedure for addressing respiratory problems in children with neurological impairments.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e Despite the recognized need for tracheostomy in pediatric patients with neurological impairments, no consensus or clear guidelines have been established on the optimal timing of this procedure for those receiving mechanical ventilation in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Several factors should be considered when determining the appropriate timing of tracheostomy, including the predictability of the disease course, expertise and resources of the healthcare center, and parental anxiety. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the demographic characteristics and tracheostomy utilization among bedridden pediatric patients with neurological impairments who underwent tracheostomy in the PICU of a tertiary medical institution.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePatients and Data\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe enrolled patients aged between 1 month and 18 years who were admitted to the PICU and underwent tracheostomy between January 2017 and December 2022 at a tertiary care medical institution. This hospital can accommodate patients with critical illness in all pediatric departments. The inclusion criteria were limited to patients who had neurological impairments and were in a bedridden state at the time of tracheostomy. Patients without neurological impairments upon PICU admission and those who underwent tracheostomy in a different location, such as the neonatal intensive care unit, were excluded from the study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe electronic medical records were retrospectively analyzed to extract the following information: age and weight at the time of tracheostomy, sex, underlying disease, indication for tracheostomy (e.g., long term mechanical ventilation or airway obstruction), Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score on PICU admission, presence of central venous access devices and gastrostomy at the time of tracheostomy, use of inotropes at the time of tracheostomy, presence of kyphoscoliosis, failure to thrive (FTT) at the time of tracheostomy, tracheostomy-related complications, and mortality. Tracheostomy-related complications were classified as early (within 1\u0026ndash;7 days) or late (\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;7 days). FTT was defined as a bodyweight less than the 3rd percentile for age. The duration of the hospital and PICU stay and time from the procedure to discharge were calculated.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eTracheostomy Clinical Approach\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eBefore tracheostomy, the attending physician provided a detailed explanation to the patient\u0026rsquo;s caregivers regarding the necessity of the procedure, its safety, and potential postoperative complications. Tracheostomy was performed only after obtaining consent from the caregivers. An experienced otolaryngologist performed a tracheostomy at the patient\u0026rsquo;s bedside in the PICU, and the intensivist administered midazolam, ketamine, dexmedetomidine, and rocuronium as preoperative and intraoperative medications. Patients\u0026rsquo; blood pressure, heart rate, heart rhythm, and oxygen saturation were monitored during the procedure. The patients were kept in the PICU until their vital signs were stable and their general condition was good, after which they were transferred to the general ward. The caregivers were trained and informed about tracheostomy management by the medical staff before discharge. After discharge, tracheostomy status was regularly monitored and assessed through follow-up appointments with the pediatric and otolaryngology departments.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStatistical Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIBM SPSS Statistics version 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) was used to perform statistical analyses. Continuous variables were expressed as the median and interquartile range (25th\u0026ndash;75th percentiles), and nominal variables were expressed as numbers and percentages. Mann\u0026ndash;Whitney U-tests were used to compare continuous variables, and chi-square test or Fisher\u0026rsquo;s exact test was used for categorical variables. Statistical significance was set at P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.05.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eEthics Statement\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e This study was reviewed and approved by Institutional Review Board of Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital (IRB no. 2022-11-23). This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePatient Characteristics\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eDuring the study period (January 2017 to December 2022), 56 patients aged\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;18 years underwent tracheostomy. Neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9) and patients without neurological impairments (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9) were excluded. Ultimately, the study included 38 patients who met the inclusion criteria.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOf the 38 patients included in the study, 19 (50%) were male, with a median age of 7.3 (IQR 0.9\u0026ndash;13) years at the time of tracheostomy. The age of the patients ranged from 45 days to 17.4 years, and 10 (26.3%) patients were \u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;1 year old. At the time of tracheostomy, the median body weight was 14.6 (IQR 8.6\u0026ndash;19.7) kg, and 17 (44.7%) patients were in a state of FTT. Upon PICU admission, the median GCS score for the 38 patients was 10 (IQR 6.3\u0026ndash;13.0) points. Moreover, 44.7% (17/38) of the patients had kyphoscoliosis, and 34.2% (13/38) had a gastrostomy. Central venous access devices were present in 73.7% (28/38) of the patients at the time of tracheostomy, and 28.9% (11/38) were receiving inotropic agents (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAll 38 patients presented with neurological impairments and were bedridden. The etiology of their neurological conditions was heterogeneous, with refractory epilepsy being the most common in 12 (31.6%) patients, followed by hypoxic\u0026ndash;ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in 6 (15.8%) patients and cerebral palsy (CP) in 4 (10.5%) patients. The remaining patients were diagnosed with various conditions (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDemographics of the patients (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;38)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eValue\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale sex\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19 (50)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge at tracheostomy (years)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.3 (0.9\u0026ndash;13)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWeight at tracheostomy (kg)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.6 (8.6\u0026ndash;19.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGCS score at PICU admission\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10 (6.3\u0026ndash;13)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eKyphoscoliosis\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17 (44.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFTT\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17 (44.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGastrostomy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13 (34.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCentral venous access\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28 (73.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInotrope use\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11 (28.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eValues are presented as number (%) or median (interquartile range). FTT, failure to thrive; GCS, Glasgow Coma Scale; PICU, pediatric intensive care unit\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eTracheostomy Data\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe majority of the patients (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;36, 94.7%) received tracheostomy for prolonged mechanical ventilation caused by chronic respiratory failure and failed ventilator weaning. The remaining two patients received tracheostomy to manage airway obstruction. One patient had subglottic stenosis, and the other had airway obstruction due to a craniofacial anomaly. All patients had undergone intubation and mechanical ventilation before tracheostomy. The median duration of mechanical ventilation before tracheostomy was 14.5 (IQR 6.8\u0026ndash;20) days (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eData-related tracheostomy (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;38)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eValue\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTracheostomy indications\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProlonged mechanical ventilation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e36 (94.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAirway obstruction\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (5.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMV before tracheostomy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38 (100)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMV duration before tracheostomy (day)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.5 (6.8\u0026ndash;20)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDecannulation of tracheostomy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0 (0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eValues are presented as a number (%) or median (interquartile range). MV, mechanical ventilation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eOutcome Data\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe median length of PICU stay was 30 (IQR 19\u0026ndash;41.5) days, and the median length of hospital stay was 42 (IQR 28.5\u0026ndash;54) days. In addition, the median time from tracheostomy to discharge was 20.5 (IQR 15\u0026ndash;38.8) days (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eData-related outcomes (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;38)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eValue\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLength of PICU stay (day)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30 (19\u0026ndash;41.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTime from tracheostomy to discharge (day)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.5 (15\u0026ndash;38.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal hospital stay (day)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e42 (28.5\u0026ndash;54)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNumber of tracheostomy-related complications\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEarly complications\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (13.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLate complications\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25 (86.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMortality after tracheostomy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14 (36.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTracheostomy-related mortality\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (7.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eValues are presented as a number (%) or median (interquartile range). MV, mechanical ventilation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA majority of the patients (60.5%) experienced tracheostomy-related complications. In total, 29 complications were identified in 23 patients (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e), with 4 occurring within 7 days of tracheostomy (early complications) and the remaining 25 occurring after 7 days of tracheostomy (late complications). The most frequent complication was granulation formation, which was observed in 15 patients (52%). None of these cases required surgical intervention, and all were managed with topical treatment. Other complications included accidental decannulation (4), wound ulceration (3), bleeding (3), pressure sores (2), and tube occlusion (1). Three cases resulted in serious consequences or death. One early complication was accidental decannulation, which occurred 48 h after tracheostomy, resulting in the patient\u0026rsquo;s death as the tube was not properly reinserted. The remaining two cases were delayed complications: one patient required surgery for the right brachiocephalic artery tear during tube replacement and the other patient died from accidental decannulation while at home.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn this study, the overall mortality rate was 36.8% (14 of 38 patients). Of these, three deaths (7.9%) were directly related to tracheostomy, whereas the remaining deaths were attributed to the underlying medical conditions of the patients (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). Among the tracheostomy-related deaths, the first case was caused by accidental decannulation that occurred 48 h after the procedure. The second case was caused by massive bleeding that occurred during a routine outpatient visit, which was confirmed by neck computed tomography to be caused by an injury to the right brachiocephalic artery. A vascular surgeon inserted the stent at the lesion site. Approximately 3 months later, the patient experienced another episode of massive bleeding through the tracheostomy and died from rapid treatment not being available, with the previous injury to the artery suspected as the cause. The last patient died from accidental decannulation that occurred while the patient was at home. Four of the deceased patients died while undergoing observation and treatment after tracheostomy, while the remaining 10 died during follow-up after being discharged from the hospital after tracheostomy.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmong the 38 patients who underwent tracheostomy, four expired while undergoing observation and treatment at the hospital, whereas 34 were discharged in satisfactory general condition. Following hospital discharge, 10 of these patients died during follow-up through regular outpatient treatment, whereas the remaining 24 are currently alive (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). None of the patients underwent decannulation, and all surviving patients continued to perform home ventilation through tracheostomy.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eComparison of Groups by Duration of Mechanical Ventilation before Tracheostomy\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn this study, the median duration of mechanical ventilation before tracheostomy was 14.5 (IQR 6.8\u0026ndash;20) days. To further investigate the effect of mechanical ventilation duration on patient outcomes, the patients were divided into two groups based on the median duration. Group A consisted of patients who received mechanical ventilation for \u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;14 days, whereas group B consisted of patients who received mechanical ventilation for \u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;14 days. Statistically significant differences in the total PICU stay and hospitalization stay were found between the two groups, with group A having shorter times for both factors (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001 and 0.0003, respectively). The study also examined other patient characteristics and found no differences between the two groups in terms of sex, tracheostomy indications, age at tracheostomy, weight at tracheostomy, GCS score upon PICU admission, presence of central venous access devices at the time of tracheostomy, use of inotropes at the time of tracheostomy, presence of kyphoscoliosis and FTT at the time of tracheostomy, time from the procedure to discharge, complications, or mortality (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eComparison of groups divided by the mechanical ventilation application period before tracheostomy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGroup A (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;19)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGroup B (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;19)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP-value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSex\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7 (36.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12 (63.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.105\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12 (63.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7 (36.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndications for tracheostomy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProlonged mechanical ventilation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17 (89.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19 (100)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.486\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAirway obstruction\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (10.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0 (0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge at tracheostomy (years)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.1 (1.5\u0026ndash;12.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.7 (1.1\u0026ndash;12.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.43\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWeight at tracheostomy (kg)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.2 (9.7\u0026ndash;17.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17 (8.7\u0026ndash;22.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.54\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGastrostomy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10 (52.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3(15.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.017\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCentral venous line\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13 (68.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15 (78.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.461\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInotrope use\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (26.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6 (31.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.721\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGCS score\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11 (7.5\u0026ndash;15)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9 (6\u0026ndash;11.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.076\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eKyphoscoliosis\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11(57.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6 (31.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.103\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFTT\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6 (31.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11(57.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.103\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eComplications\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13 (68.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10 (52.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.319\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDeath\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8 (42.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6 (31.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.501\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal hospital stay (day)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30 (22\u0026ndash;44)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51 (41.5\u0026ndash;76)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.003\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal PICU stay (day)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19 (17.5\u0026ndash;25.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40 (31.5\u0026ndash;42.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTime from the procedure to discharge (day)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19 (14\u0026ndash;33.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24 (17.5\u0026ndash;44.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.184\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eValues are presented as number (%) or median (interquartile range). MV, mechanical ventilation; PICU, pediatric intensive care unit.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eCompared with the past, significant changes have been made in the indications for pediatric tracheostomy at present. Previously, upper airway obstruction caused by viral and bacterial infections such as croup, diphtheria, and epiglottitis were the most common indications for pediatric tracheostomy. However, with the development of vaccines and antibiotics, the incidence of these infections causing airway obstruction has decreased.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e] In addition, advances in critical care have improved the survival rate of pediatric patients with critical illness requiring prolonged respiratory support, including premature infants.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e] As a result, the indications for pediatric tracheostomy have shifted. A Canadian study of pediatric tracheostomy in 30 years found that infection-related tracheostomies decreased, whereas those due to neurological impairments increased significantly.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e] Similarly, a 20-year study of tracheostomies in the PICU in India found that upper airway obstruction was the most common indication in the early 10 years, whereas central neurological impairment was the most common indication in the later 10 years.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e] Currently, the most frequent indications for tracheostomy in children are congenital upper airway anomalies causing airway obstruction or prolonged mechanical ventilation due to respiratory failure.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNeurological diseases leading to a bedridden state often require prolonged mechanical ventilation. Children with neurological impairments are more susceptible to respiratory insufficiency than their healthy counterparts. Malnutrition-related respiratory muscle wasting in the presence of neurological impairments leads to ineffective breathing, and frequent aspiration and decreased cough efficacy with retention of secretions increases the likelihood of recurrent and chronic lung infections. Hypoxemia due to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is also common in these patients. Thus, children with neurological impairments are at risk of respiratory failure and often require respiratory support such as mechanical ventilation.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e] Tracheostomy may offer specific advantages to children with neurological impairments who are dependent on ventilation. It can reduce the sedation requirement, increase the duration of awake and interactive periods with caregivers, and facilitate discharge from the PICU to an appropriate supported environment, such as home, rather than hospital.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e] Therefore, tracheostomy should be considered in children with neurological impairments requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study investigated the characteristics of pediatric patients with neurological impairments who underwent tracheostomy. The patients were typically bedridden because of underlying diseases, with refractory epilepsy being the most common, followed by HIE and CP (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Upon hospital admission, the median GCS score was 10 (IQR 6.3\u0026ndash;13) points, indicating moderate brain injury. Nearly half of the patients had kyphoscoliosis and FTT at the time of tracheostomy, and some patients also had gastrostomy. In addition, the majority of patients who received tracheostomy had central venous access, and nearly all patients underwent tracheostomy for prolonged mechanical ventilation. Given the scarcity of studies specifically investigating pediatric tracheostomy in patients with neurological impairments, the information presented here can help identify the characteristics of this patient population.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e No consensus or guidelines have been established for the appropriate timing for tracheostomy in children with neurological impairments who require prolonged mechanical ventilation in the PICU. Wakeham et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e] conducted a study on tracheostomy use in 82 North American PICUs and found significant variations in both the rate and timing of tracheostomy use across different units. This variability appears to be influenced by local PICU characteristics, available resources, unit practice patterns, and practitioner attitudes toward tracheostomy. Establishing a consensus and guideline for pediatric tracheostomy timing is challenging because of the heterogeneity and complexity of potential risks associated with underlying diseases in patients requiring tracheostomy. Several recent studies have investigated the optimal timing for tracheostomy in pediatric patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation in the PICU.[\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR12\" citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e] All these studies compared and analyzed early and late groups based on an intubation period of 14 days, and similar results were obtained. Early tracheostomy was found to be associated with lower rates of complications, higher rates of successful weaning, and decreased utilization of intensive care resources. Moreover, it was linked to a reduction in the duration of mechanical ventilation, length of PICU stay, and overall hospital stay. The underlying diseases of the patients included in the above three studies were heterogeneous. In this study of patients with neurological conditions, the median duration of mechanical ventilation before tracheostomy was 14.5 (IQR, 6.8\u0026ndash;20) days. To compare the outcomes of early versus late tracheostomy, patients were divided into two groups based on the median value, and a comparative analysis was conducted. A statistically significant difference was found between the early and late groups in terms of total hospital stay and length of PICU stay, with both being shorter in the early group (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.003, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001). However, no significant difference was found in the complication or mortality rate between the two groups. These findings provide valuable insights into the effect of mechanical ventilation duration on patient outcomes and suggest that shorter durations of mechanical ventilation may be associated with shorter total PICU and hospital stay.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn this study, which focused solely on patients with neurologic diseases, tracheostomy-related complications occurred in approximately two-thirds of the patients (23/38, 60.5%). Granuloma formation was the most commonly observed complication, and none of the cases required surgical removal. Most of these complications were detected during the regular follow-up and were treated topically. A recently published systematic review of tracheostomy-related complications in children found an average complication rate of 40%, with rates varying based on factors such as age, birthweight, prematurity, comorbidities, and whether the procedure was elective or performed as an emergency. Consistent with our study, the most common complications reported were granulomas and cutaneous lesions.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e] Another cross-sectional analysis of pediatric tracheostomy-related complications examined a total of 5,309 tracheostomies and reported a complication rate of 8%.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e] Recent single-center studies have reported complication rates ranging from 25\u0026ndash;55% [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR17 CR18\" citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e], which may vary depending on the characteristics of the underlying disease or patient age. The study participants were patients who required tracheostomy for home ventilation and did not require decannulation, indicating that tracheostomy was necessary in the long term. Given this, the complication rate observed in our study is expected to be higher than that in other studies. Therefore, active collaboration between healthcare providers and caregivers is essential to prevent tracheostomy-related complications in patients with neurological impairments.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe mortality rate can vary depending on the composition of the study participants. Recent single-center studies with heterogeneous patient etiologies reported an overall mortality rate of 17\u0026ndash;37% and a tracheostomy-related mortality rate of 1.2\u0026ndash;27%.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e] In this study, the overall mortality and tracheostomy-related mortality rates were 36.8% and 7.9%, respectively, which is consistent with the findings of other single-center studies. In a study involving 917 children who underwent tracheostomy, the relationship between comorbid clinical conditions and mortality was analyzed. The study found that mortality rates and hospital-resource utilization were higher in cases with neurological impairments.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e] Furthermore, other studies have reported that severe neurocognitive disability and seizures were associated with high mortality rates.[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e] Two tracheostomy-related deaths were attributed to accidental decannulation, which could have been prevented with timely and appropriate intervention by medical staff. Patients with neurologic diseases are at a higher risk of mortality following tracheostomy than other disease groups, underscoring the need for vigilant attention and care from both medical staff and caregivers.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study has several limitations that should be considered when interpreting the findings. First, it was a retrospective analysis of medical records from a single institution, which raises the possibility of missing data. Second, the sample size was relatively small, which limited the statistical power of the Cox proportional hazards regression analysis used to identify mortality-related risk factors. Therefore, more robust and reliable results can be obtained through a prospective multicenter study that overcomes these limitations. However, unlike other single-center studies that focus on a heterogeneous population, this study exclusively includes bedridden patients with neurological impairments, providing unique insights into their tracheostomy use and characteristics. In addition, the study highlights the significant reduction in total hospital and PICU stay associated with early tracheostomy, which may aid in decision-making for patients with neurological impairments requiring tracheostomy in the future.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChildren with neurological impairments who are typically bedridden may experience respiratory difficulties, which can be addressed through tracheostomy. Patients with neurological impairments may present with comorbidities such as kyphoscoliosis, FTT, and dependence on gastrostomy and central venous access. This study categorized patients based on the timing of tracheostomy and found that the early tracheostomy group had significantly shorter hospital and PICU stay than the late group. Given the potential for high complications and mortality rates in this patient population, careful and appropriate care by medical staff and caregivers is crucial.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":" \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"No\" id=\"Taba\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003ePICU\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003ePediatric Intensive Care Unit\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eGCS\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eGlasgow Coma Scale\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eFTT\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eFailure To Thrive\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eHIE\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"SimplePara\"\u003eHypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, which granted an exemption from obtaining patient informed consent (IRB no. 2022-11-23). This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eClinical trial number\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAvailability of data and materials\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe datasets analyzed or generated during the study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eFunding\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors received no funding for this study.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAuthors\u0026rsquo; contributions\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConceptualization, J.E.K..; Formal analysis, Y.T.L.; Methodology, Y.T.L.; Project administration, Y.T.L. and J.E.K.; Software, Y.T.L. and J.E K.; Supervision, J.E K.; Writing\u0026mdash;original draft, Y.T.L.; Writing\u0026mdash;review and editing, Y.T.L. and J.E.K. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAdditional file\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNone\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSeddon PC, Khan Y. Respiratory problems in children with neurological impairment. Arch Dis Child. 2003;88:75\u0026ndash;8.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePeterson-Carmichael SL, Cheifetz IM. The chronically critically ill patient: pediatric considerations. Respir Care. 2012;57:993\u0026ndash;1003.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWatters KF. Tracheostomy in Infants and Children. Respir Care. 2017;62:799\u0026ndash;825.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKontorinis G, Thevasagayam MS, Bateman ND. Airway obstruction in children with cerebral palsy: need for tracheostomy? Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2013;77:1647\u0026ndash;50.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCampisi P, Forte V. Pediatric tracheostomy. Semin Pediatr Surg. 2016;25:191\u0026ndash;5.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOgilvie LN, Kozak JK, Chiu S, Adderley RJ, Kozak FK. Changes in pediatric tracheostomy 1982\u0026ndash;2011: a Canadian tertiary children's hospital review. J Pediatr Surg. 2014;49:1549\u0026ndash;53.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSachdev A, Chaudhari ND, Singh BP, Sharma N, Gupta D, Gupta N, et al. Tracheostomy in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit-A Two Decades of Experience. Indian J Crit Care Med. 2021;25:803\u0026ndash;11.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eProesmans M. Respiratory illness in children with disability: a serious problem? Breathe (Sheff). 2016;12:e97\u0026ndash;103.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMarshall V, Holt F, Crowe S. Tracheostomy as a Comfort Measure in Children With Life-Limiting Conditions. J Palliat Care. 2017;32:89\u0026ndash;91.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWakeham MK, Kuhn EM, Lee KJ, McCrory MC, Scanlon MC. Use of tracheostomy in the PICU among patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation. Intensive Care Med. 2014;40:863\u0026ndash;70.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHolloway AJ, Spaeder MC, Basu S. Association of timing of tracheostomy on clinical outcomes in PICU patients. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2015;16:e52\u0026ndash;8.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSarkar M, Roychowdhoury S, Bhakta S, Raut S, Nandi M. Tracheostomy before 14 Days: Is It Associated with Better Outcomes in Pediatric Patients on Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation? Indian J Crit Care Med. 2021;25:435\u0026ndash;40.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLee JH, Koo CH, Lee SY, Kim EH, Song IK, Kim HS, et al. Effect of early vs. late tracheostomy on clinical outcomes in critically ill pediatric patients. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2016;60:1281\u0026ndash;8.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLubianca Neto JF, Castagno OC, Schuster AK. Complications of tracheostomy in children: a systematic review. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2022;88:882\u0026ndash;90.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNewton M, Johnson RF, Wynings E, Jaffal H, Chorney SR. Pediatric Tracheostomy-Related Complications: A Cross-sectional Analysis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2022;167:359\u0026ndash;65.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJain MK, Patnaik S, Sahoo B, Mishra R, Behera JR. Tracheostomy in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: Experience from Eastern India. Indian J Pediatr. 2021;88:445\u0026ndash;9.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eErtugrul I, Kesici S, Bayrakci B, Unal OF. Tracheostomy in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: When and Where? Iran J Pediatr. 2016;26:e2283.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRoberts J, Powell J, Begbie J, Siou G, McLarnon C, Welch A, et al. Pediatric tracheostomy: A large single-center experience. Laryngoscope. 2020;130:E375\u0026ndash;80.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCan FK, Anıl AB, Anıl M, G\u0026uuml;m\u0026uuml;şsoy M, \u0026Ccedil;itlenbik H, Kandoğan T, et al. The outcomes of children with tracheostomy in a tertiary care pediatric intensive care unit in Turkey. Turk Pediatri Ars. 2018;53:177\u0026ndash;84.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTeplitzky TB, Brown AF, Brooks RL, Bailey CH, Whitney C, Sewell A, et al. Mortality Among Children with a Tracheostomy. Laryngoscope. 2023;133:403\u0026ndash;9.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHebbar KB, Kasi AS, Vielkind M, McCracken CE, Ivie CC, Prickett KK, et al. Mortality and Outcomes of Pediatric Tracheostomy Dependent Patients. Front Pediatr. 2021;9:661512.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBerry JG, Graham DA, Graham RJ, Zhou J, Putney HL, O'Brien JE, et al. Predictors of clinical outcomes and hospital resource use of children after tracheotomy. Pediatrics. 2009;124:563\u0026ndash;72.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"bedridden patient, child, critical care, mortality, pediatric intensive care unit, tracheostomy","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4982695/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4982695/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e Children with neurological impairments, especially those who are bedridden, may require additional care services beyond what is available for the general pediatric population, and tracheostomy may be necessary for addressing respiratory problems, but no established consensus or clear guidelines have been established on the optimal timing of this procedure in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe conducted a study involving 39 bedridden patients with neurological impairments who underwent tracheostomy in the PICU from January 2017 to December 2022. We collected demographic, tracheostomy, and outcome data and compared the data between two groups based on the duration of mechanical ventilation before tracheostomy.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe patients had heterogeneous neurological conditions, with refractory epilepsy being the most common. Almost all patients received tracheostomy for prolonged mechanical ventilation, with a median duration of 14.5 days of mechanical ventilation before the procedure. A majority of the patients (60.5%) experienced complications related to tracheostomy. The overall mortality rate was 36.8%, with 7.9% directly related to tracheostomy. When the patients were divided into two groups based on the median duration of mechanical ventilation before tracheostomy, the group that received tracheostomy earlier had significantly shorter total PICU stay and hospitalization stay compared to the group that received it later.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTracheostomy is a procedure necessary for resolving respiratory difficulties in children with neurological impairments who are typically bedridden. As complications and mortality rates can be high in this population, careful and appropriate care is necessary.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Bedside Tracheostomy for Pediatric Critically Ill patients in PICU: Clinical Experience in a Single center","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-10-21 10:57:17","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4982695/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"c329a856-e24d-41c4-8e72-99c5261c3cb0","owner":[],"postedDate":"October 21st, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-09-24T13:09:07+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-10-21 10:57:17","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4982695","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4982695","identity":"rs-4982695","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}