three-year prospective observational study (2018-2020) at a tertiary care level 1 trauma center (King Hussein Medical Center) in Amman Jordan and 4 affiliated subspecialty hospitals. The study sequentially enrolled all adult patients (>18yo) with critical illness receiving MV in an intensive care unit for 48 hours or longer. Institutional ethical committee clearance for the study was secured.
The optimal timing of tracheostomy insertion remains uncertain. We hypothesized that a clinical pathway including expert-informed risk assessment regarding predicted duration of mechanical (MV) would enhance the effectiveness of early percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) for patients with anticipated prolonged durations of MV, as reflected by duration of ventilation, complications, and patient-centered outcomes.