• Jack Green, Patrick A Ross, NewthChristopher J LCJLDepartment of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of University of S, and Robinder G Khemani.
• Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA.
• Pediatr Crit Care Me. 2021 Oct 1; 22 (10): e502e512e502-e512.

ObjectivesPost-extubation upper airway obstruction is the most common cause of extubation failure in children, but there are few data regarding long-term morbidity. We aim to describe the frequency of long-term airway sequelae in intubated children and determine the association with post-extubation upper airway obstruction.DesignRetrospective, post hoc analysis of previously identified prospective cohort of children in the pediatric/cardiothoracic ICU at Children's Hospital Los Angeles from July 2012 to April 2015. A single provider blinded to the upper airway obstruction classification reviewed the electronic medical records of all patients in the parent study, before and after the index extubation (extubation during parent study), to identify pre-index and post-index upper airway disease. Primary outcomes were prevalence of newly diagnosed airway anomalies following index extubation.SettingSingle center, tertiary, 391-bed children's hospital.PatientsFrom the parent study, 327 children younger than 18 years (intubated for at least 12 hr) were included if they received subsequent care (regardless of specialty) after the index extubation.InterventionsNone.Measurements And Main ResultsNew airway anomalies were identified in 40 of 327 children (12.2%). Patients labeled with subglottic upper airway obstruction at the index extubation were more likely to be diagnosed with new airway anomalies on subsequent follow-up, receive long-term Otolaryngology follow-up, or receive airway surgery (all p ≤ 0.006). In multivariable modeling, upper airway obstruction as the primary reason for initial intubation (odds ratio, 3.71; CI, 1.50-9.19), reintubation during the index ICU admission (odds ratio, 4.44; CI, 1.67-11.80), pre-index airway anomaly (odds ratio, 3.31; CI, 1.36-8.01), and post-extubation subglottic upper airway obstruction (odds ratio, 3.50; CI, 1.46-8.34) remained independently associated with the diagnosis of new airway anomalies.ConclusionsPost-extubation subglottic upper airway obstruction is associated with a three-fold greater odds of long-term airway morbidity. These patients may represent an at-risk population that should be monitored closely after leaving the ICU.Copyright © 2021 by the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies.

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