Thousands of critically ill patients every year in the United States receive tracheostomy and gastrostomy procedures. Recent research has investigated the benefits of a combined team approach to these procedures, with associated decreases in length of stay (LOS) and hospital costs.

This study’s objective was to determine if implementing a bedside percutaneous tracheostomy and percutaneous ultrasound gastrostomy (PUG) team would reduce LOS and hospital costs.

This retrospective chart review compares the impact of implementing an ICU bedside percutaneous tracheostomy and PUG service team to the hospital’s previous workflow (ie, pre-implementation).

Inclusion criteria were adult patients with Ventilator Dependent Respiratory Failure (VDRF), a clinical indication for both procedures while admitted to the ICU and received both tracheostomy and gastrostomy procedures while admitted to the hospital.

Pre- and post-implementation groups were compared across patients’ demographics, clinical characteristics, and outcomes. ICU LOS, hospital LOS and total hospital costs were the primary outcome measures.

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