title: [The influence of early tracheostomy in the weaning of patients with severe traumatic brain injury].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Actually, Its doubtful if early tracheostomy (ET) can influence mechanical ventilation (MV) weaning time or the hospital length of stay in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The main objective of this trial was to verify the influence of ET on weaning time of patients with severe TBI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, observational study, including 33 patients with severe TBI (GCS < 10 at hospital admission), evaluated according to tracheostomy performance time (early: t < 6 days; intermediate: t = 7 to 11 days; and late: t > 12 days) and the weaning from MV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total ventilation mechanical time has been reduced in the early tracheostomy group (n = 10; p < 0.0001). A lower GCS punctuation (mean 5.3 ± 2.5) in ET group has been negatively correlated with hospital length of stay (LOS) (p = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early tracheostomy can decrease mechanical ventilation time, but does not influence hospital LOS in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.
authors.affiliation: FCM, UNICAMP.
authors.forename: Renata Lenize
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Pasini
authors.affiliation: HC, UNICAMP.
authors.forename: Yvens Barbosa
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirurgia, FCM, UNICAMP.
authors.forename: Sebastião
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.affiliation: HC, UNICAMP.
authors.forename: Silvia Maria de Toledo Piza
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Soares