Early versus late tracheostomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To investigate whether early tracheostomy leads to improved outcomes compared with late tracheostomy.

Data Sources: Ovid MEDLINE (including PubMed), Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.

Review Methods: A systematic search was performed of the above-mentioned databases according to PRISMA guidelines. Data were collected on the following outcomes of interest: hospital mortality, intensive care unit length of stay, length of mechanical ventilation, incidence of pneumonia, laryngotracheal injury, and sedation use. Analysis was performed using the RevMan 5 software (Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, England).

Results: Eleven studies were included for analysis. There was a significant decrease in the intensive care unit length of stay in the early tracheostomy group (weighted mean difference, -9.13 days; 95% confidence interval [CI], -17.55 to -0.70; P = .03). There was no significant difference in hospital mortality (relative risk, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.67 to 1.04; P = .11). A pooled analysis was not performed for the incidence of pneumonia or length of mechanical ventilation, secondary to considerable heterogeneity among the studies. None of the studies reporting laryngotracheal outcomes found a significant difference between the early and late tracheostomy groups, whereas all 3 studies reporting sedation use found a significant decrease in the early tracheostomy group.

Conclusion: Early tracheostomy performed within 7 days of intubation was associated with a decrease in intensive care unit length of stay. No difference was found in hospital mortality. Insufficient data currently exist to make conclusions about the effect of early tracheostomy on the incidence of pneumonia, length of mechanical ventilation, laryngotracheal injury, or sedation use.