Comparison of 2 models for managing tracheotomized patients in a subacute medical intensive care unit.

Objective: To compare 2 models for managing patients admitted to a subacute medical intensive care unit (MICU) who required prolonged mechanical ventilation (> or = 7 d).

Methods: The subjects were 192 consecutive patients (mean +/- SD age 61.5 +/- 16.1 y, 52% male, 86% white) managed during alternating 7-month blocks of time by an attending physician in collaboration with an acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP) (n = 98 patients) or by an attending physician in collaboration with critical care/pulmonary fellows (n = 94 patients). The total observation time was 28 months (14 mo per team).

Results: At unit entry, there were no significant differences in age, sex, race, comorbidity, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III score, or time of tracheostomy between the patients managed by the 2 teams. Patients managed by the ACNP team were more likely to have required mechanical ventilation due to an acute pulmonary problem (p = 0.005). At subacute MICU discharge, the groups were not significantly different in regard to subacute MICU length of stay, days on mechanical ventilation, or discharge weaning status (p > 0.05). The number of readmissions to the MICU was similar for the ACNP team (n = 7) and fellows team (n = 8), as were readmissions to the subacute MICU < or = 72 h after discharge (ACNP = 2, fellows = 1). Each team had 2 deaths without treatment limitation.

Conclusion: As hypothesized, management of patients who required prolonged mechanical ventilation with tracheostomy had equivalent outcomes with the ACNP team or the fellows team.