Chorath K, Hoang A, Rajasekaran K, et al. - In this meta-analysis involving 3,145 patients (mean [SD] age range, 32.9 [12.7] to 67.9 [17.6] years), researchers sought to compare the correlation of early (≤ 7 days) vs late tracheotomy with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and ventilator days in critically ill adults. A search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, references of relevant articles, previous meta-analyses, and gray literature from inception to March 31, 2020, has been conducted. Early intervention was associated with lower VAP rates and shorter durations of mechanical ventilation and ICU stay as compared with the late tracheotomy, but not with lower short-term all-cause mortality. Such findings have significant clinical implications and may lead to changes in practice regarding the timing of tracheotomy in critically ill adults requiring mechanical ventilation.