Prediction of Survival Time after Terminal Extubation: the Balance Between Critical Care Unit Utilization and Hospice Medicine in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era

Background We established 1-h and 1-day survival models after terminal extubation to optimize ventilator use and achieve a balance between critical care for COVID-19 and hospice medicine. Methods Data were obtained from patients with end-of-life status at terminal extubation from 2015 to 2020. The associations between APACHE II scores and parameters with survival time were analyzed. Parameters with a p-value <= 0.2 in univariate analysis were included in multivariate models. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used for the multivariate analysis of survival time at 1 h and 1 day. Results Of the 140 enrolled patients, 76 (54.3%) died within 1 h and 35 (25%) survived beyond 24 h. No spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) within the past 24 h, minute ventilation (MV) >= 12 L/min, and APACHE II score >= 25 were associated with shorter survival in the 1 h regression model. Lower MV, SpO(2) >= 96% and SBT were related to longer survival in the 1-day model. Hospice medications did not influence survival time. Conclusion An APACHE II score of >= 25 at 1 h and SpO(2) >= 96% at 1 day were strong predictors of disposition of patients to intensivists. These factors can help to objectively tailor pathways for post-extubation transition and rapidly allocate intensive care unit resources without sacrificing the quality of palliative care in the era of COVID-19.