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The association of frailty with morbidity following surgical tracheostomy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2025

Eoin F. Cleere Open the ORCID record for Eoin F. Cleere [Opens in a new window] ,
Justin M. Hintze ,
Akash N. Ramesh ,
Isobel O’Riordan ,
Conrad V.I. Timon ,
John Kinsella ,
Paul Lennon  and
Conall W.R. Fitzgerald
Eoin F. Cleere*
Affiliation:
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
Justin M. Hintze
Affiliation:
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
Akash N. Ramesh
Affiliation:
School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Isobel O’Riordan
Affiliation:
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
Conrad V.I. Timon
Affiliation:
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
John Kinsella
Affiliation:
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
Paul Lennon
Affiliation:
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
Conall W.R. Fitzgerald
Affiliation:
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
*
Corresponding author: Eoin F. Cleere; Email: eoincleere@rcsi.ie
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Abstract

Objectives

This study aimed to assess whether frailty (measured using the 5-Item Modified Frailty Index) was associated with increased morbidity following surgical tracheostomy.

Methods

A single-centre retrospective cohort study analysed a prospectively maintained database between 2022 and 2023. Univariable and multivariable regressions were used to determine factors (including frailty) associated with increased morbidity.

Results

A total of 174 patients underwent surgical tracheostomy in the study period with 28 patients determined as frail (16.1 per cent). Overall, 21 patients (12.1 per cent) suffered a tracheostomy-specific complication. Multivariable regression found an association between frail patient status and increased tracheostomy-specific complications (odds ratio 4.09, 95 per cent confidence interval 1.51–11.11; p = 0.006) and longer hospital length of stay (β 15.76 days, 95 per cent confidence interval 1.06–30.44; p = 0.036).

Conclusion

Frailty was associated with increased morbidity and longer hospital stay following tracheostomy. Assessment of frailty may guide decision making and patient discussions when planning tracheostomy.

Keywords

tracheostomyfrailtyclassificationmorbiditytracheotomy

Information

Type
Main Article
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 139 , Issue 8 , August 2025 , pp. 738 - 744
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED.

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Footnotes

Eoin F. Cleere takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

Presented at the Irish Head and Neck Society Conference, 12th April 2025, Kilkenny, Ireland

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