One-Year Outcomes of Patients Requiring Tracheostomy Placement Due to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the disease it causes (COVID-19) have resulted in an increase in critical illness and in the prevalence of acute respiratory failure with the need for tracheostomy. The characteristics and long-term outcomes of this patient cohort are not well identified. RESEARCH QUESTION: What are the characteristics of patients who develop the need for tracheostomy due to SARS-CoV-2 with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)? What is their 90-day and 1-year survival and are there any identifiable risk factors for mortality and ventilator dependency? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Retrospective, follow-up cohort study of adult patients with COVID-19 infection and ARDS who required tracheostomy placement in a large healthcare system. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-four consecutive patients with SARS-CoV-2 admitted to ICUs for ARDS who required tracheostomy placement between March 2020 and March 2021 were identified. One hundred nine (66.5%) were male. Average age was 63.5 years. The most common comorbidities were obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), atrial fibrillation, and asthma. The most common complications during hospitalization were delirium, secondary infections, acute kidney injury, pneumothorax, and venous thromboembolism. Ninety-day and 1-year mortality were 29.9% and 44.5%, respectively. Ninety-six patients (58.5%) were liberated from the ventilator, and 84 (51.2%) had the tracheostomy tube decannulated. Asthma, COPD, atrial fibrillation, and renal replacement therapy requirement in the ICU correlated with increased risk of ventilator dependency. Among survivors at 1 year, 71 patients (43.3%) were residing at home and 20 patients (12.2%) remained in a skilled nursing facility. INTERPRETATION: COVID-19 has resulted in a significant burden of acute critical illness and acute respiratory failure with the need for tracheostomy. A significant percentage of patients with SARS-CoV-2 requiring tracheostomy were alive and at home 1 year after tracheostomy placement. Long-term care support, including tracheostomy, beyond 90 days appears to be beneficial in this patient population and warrants further investigation.