Early tracheostomy in stroke patients: A meta-analysis and comparison with late tracheostomy.

Abstract Tracheostomy (TQT) timing and its benefits is a current discussion in medical society. We aimed to compare the outcomes of early (ET) versus late tracheostomy (LT) in stroke patients with systematic review and meta-analysis, according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline. Five hundred and nineteen studies were retrieved, whereas three were selected for the systematic review and meta-analysis. There were 5636 patients in the ET group (3151 male, 2470 female, 15 not reported - NR) and 7637 patients in the LT group (4098 male, 3542 female, and 33 NR). ET was significantly associated with fewer days in the hospital (weighted mean difference: -7.73 [95 % CI -8.59−6.86], p