Observational studyPloS one2026
Investigating the effects of tracheostomy cuff deflation timing in patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation - An observational study.
Observational study in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionTracheostomy insertion is common in patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation (MV), with cuff deflation and voice restoration a critical step in the weaning process. However, the optimal timing for cuff deflation and its impact on clinical outcomes remain unclear. This study aims to examine local tracheostomy cuff deflation practices and assess associations with outcomes in patients requiring prolonged MV.
methodsA retrospective study was conducted at a large UK ICU between November 2021 and October 2023, which included patients without significant neurological injury requiring tracheostomy insertion for prolonged MV (defined as WIND 3). Data were extracted from electronic health records for patient demographics and outcomes including weaning milestones; physical, cognitive, and psychological outcomes; ICU and hospital length of stay (LOS); ventilator-acquired pneumonia (VAP); and mortality. These were compared across subgroups defined based on the time from tracheostomy to cuff deflation, namely 0-5, 6-10, and >10 days; patients who died prior to achieving this were included in the latter subgroup.
resultsThe 157 included patients comprised those with tracheostomy to cuff deflation of 0-5 days (N = 58), 6-10 days (N = 54) and >10 days/death (N = 45). Patient characteristics at ICU admission were not found to differ significantly between these groups. Delayed cuff deflation was associated with prolonged MV (p < 0.001); delayed weaning milestones, including decannulation (p < 0.001); higher rates of VAP (p = 0.010); increased ICU LOS (p < 0.001) and mortality (p < 0.001); and greater levels of anxiety (p = 0.040) and psychological distress (p = 0.046) at ICU discharge.
conclusionDelayed tracheostomy cuff deflation maybe associated with inferior clinical and patient outcomes. Further research examining the relationship between cuff deflation timing and clinical outcomes is warranted.
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