• Tuna Albayrak, Hülya Yanal, Demet Sengul, Ilker Sengul, Mehmet Albayrak, Selin Eyüpoğlu, Ali Muhtaroğlu, and Esma Cinar.
• Giresun University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation - Giresun, Turkey.
• Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 2023 Jan 1; 69 (10): e20230832e20230832.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients.MethodsA total of 48 patients who underwent percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy, with 24 COVID-19 patients (Group C) and 24 non-COVID-19 patients (Group N), were included in the study. Patients' demographic features including age and gender, time to intubation, duration of intubation, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation scores, comorbidities, duration of opening tracheostomy, complications, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of stay in the intensive care units, and mortality were recorded and compared between the groups.ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding age and gender (p=0.558 and p=0.110, respectively). Time to intubation was significantly more prolonged, and intubation follow-up duration was significantly shorter in Group C compared to Group N (p=0.034 and p=0.002, respectively). The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation score was statistically significantly higher in Group N compared with Group C (p=0.012). The most common comorbidity was hypertension in 29 (60.4%) patients, followed by cerebrovascular disease in 19 (39.6%) patients. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding mortality (p=0.212).ConclusionThis study suggests that percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy can be performed safely in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. However, COVID-19 patients may have a longer time to intubation and shorter intubation follow-up duration than non-COVID-19 patients. The study also found a higher incidence of complications in COVID-19 patients undergoing percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy. These results emphasize the importance of careful patient selection, meticulous technique, and close postoperative monitoring in patients undergoing percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy, particularly in those with COVID-19.

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