A Systematic Review of Mortality Associations in Patients who Develop Tracheoinnominate Artery Fistula Following Tracheostomy

Abstract

Objective: Tracheoinnominate artery fistulas (TIFs) are a rare but deadly complication of tracheostomy. Tracheoinnominate artery fistula cases in the literature were summarized in order to understand mortality associations. Methods: MEDLINE was searched for studies reporting individual characteristics of patients with TIFs after tracheostomy, excluding cases without tracheostomy or with additional procedures at the tracheostomy site. This study followed PRISMA guidelines. Results: 121 TIF patients from 18 case series and 46 case reports were included. The median age was 40 years, and 52.9% were male. The overall mortality rate was 64.5%. There were differences in mortality between cases that presented initially with vs without sentinel bleeding (odds ratio [OR].34; CI [confidence interval].16-.73; P =.006). The mortality rate also differed in whether or not the tracheostomy cuff was over-inflated for temporary hemostasis during resuscitation (OR 3.57 (CI 1.57-8.09); P =.002). Treatment compared to no treatment had lower mortality rates (OR.11 (CI 0.04-.32); P