Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33752547›Full record

Observational studyOtolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery2021

Viral Infectivity in Patients Undergoing Tracheotomy With COVID-19: A Preliminary Study.

Manish M George, Charlotte J McIntyre, Jie Zhou, Ruthiran Kugathasan, Dora C Amos, Ivan J Dillon, Wendy S Barclay, Neil S Tolley

Open access · hybridAbstract readMulticenter StudyObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.1field-weighted citation impact, top 52% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Manish M GeorgeImperial College London, London, UK.
Charlotte J McIntyreImperial College London, London, UK.
Jie ZhouImperial College London, London, UK.
Ruthiran KugathasanImperial College London, London, UK.
Dora C AmosImperial College NHS Healthcare Trust, London, UK.
Ivan J DillonImperial College NHS Healthcare Trust, London, UK.
Wendy S BarclayImperial College London, London, UK.
Neil S TolleyImperial College London, London, UK.
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust · GBImperial College London · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo establish the presence of live virus and its association with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positivity and antibody status in patients with COVID-19 undergoing tracheotomy. STUDY

designProspective observational study.

settingSingle institution across 3 hospital sites during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

methodsPatients who were intubated for respiratory wean tracheotomy underwent SARS-CoV-2 PCR nasal, throat, and endotracheal tube swabs at the time of the procedure. These were assessed via quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR. The tracheal tissue excised during the tracheotomy was cultured for SARS-CoV-2 with Vero E6 and Caco2 cells. Serum was assessed for antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2 via neutralization assays.

resultsThirty-seven patients were included in this study. The mean number of days intubated prior to undergoing surgical tracheotomy was 27.8. At the time of the surgical tracheotomy, PCR swab testing yielded 8 positive results, but none of the 35 individuals who underwent tissue culture were positive for SARS-CoV-2. All 18 patients who had serum sampling demonstrated neutralization antibodies, with a minimum titer of 1:80.

conclusionIn our series, irrespective of positive PCR swab, the likelihood of infectivity during tracheotomy remains low given negative tracheal tissue cultures. While our results do not undermine national and international guidance on tracheotomy after day 10 of intubation, given the length of time to procedure in our data, infectivity at 10 days cannot be excluded. We do however suggest that a preoperative negative PCR swab not be a prerequisite and that antibody titer levels may serve as a useful adjunct for assessment of infectivity.

Indexed as

TracheotomyAnimalsAntibodies, ViralCaco-2 CellsChlorocebus aethiopsCOVID-19COVID-19 Serological TestingFemaleHumansIntubation, IntratrachealMaleMiddle AgedPandemicsPneumonia, ViralProspective StudiesReal-Time Polymerase Chain ReactionAntibodies, ViralantibodiesCOVID-19infectivityPCRSARSSARS-CoV-2tracheotomy

Identifiers

PMID33752547
PMCPMC8008096
OpenAlexW3136275637

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.