When is tracheostomy recommended in ICU patients who are intubated?
Tracheostomy is recommended for patients receiving mechanical ventilation (MV) for 14 days or more in the intensive care unit (ICU).
Some doctors do the tracheostomy earlier than two weeks if the patient’s condition suggests that patient will need to be intubated longer than 14 days.
References
Lin W-C, Chen C-W, Wang J-D, Tsai L-M. Is tracheostomy a better choice than translaryngeal intubation for critically ill patients requiring mechanical ventilation for more than 14 days? A comparison of short-term outcomes. BMC Anesthesiology. 2015;15:181. doi:10.1186/s12871-015-0159-9.