• Aleksandra Plećaš Đurić, Vladimir Dolinaj, Sanja Maričić Prijić, Radmila Popović, Davor Križanović, and Velibor Čabarkapa.
• University Clinical Center of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia.
• Acta Clin Croat. 2023 Apr 1; 62 (Suppl1): 556255-62.

AbstractPatients with acute respiratory distress syndrome due to COVID-19 require intensive care unit (ICU) admission with consecutive endotracheal intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation. In patients with long-term mechanical ventilation, percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) may be considered. This retrospective analysis includes clinical data on patients treated at the ICUs of the COVID Hospital of the Clinical Center of Vojvodina in the period from September 3, 2021 to May 1, 2022, and underwent PDT. Patients were predominantly male (n=48; 65.8%). Weaning from mechanical ventilation was achieved in 31 (42.5%) and decannulation in 25 (34.2%) patients. The mean time from polymerase chain reaction SARS CoV-2 positivity until PDT was 15.59±6.85 days. The mean time of endotracheal intubation before the PDT procedure was 7.37±4.89 days. The mean weaning time from mechanical ventilation was 10.45±7.92 days. Twenty-five (34.2%) patients were decannulated at the mean time of 19.60±11.81 days. The complications were tracheostomy related bleeding (2 patients), pneumothorax (4 patients), subcutaneous emphysema (1 patient) and cricoid cartilage injury (1 patient). PDT is a simple, safe, and effective procedure performed in COVID-19 patients in the ICU.Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital.

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