Salley J, et al. - Researchers conducted this retrospective longitudinal cohort study to assess patients with pediatric tracheotomy for time differences to decannulation and survival rates based on ventilator status after discharge. Using the Kaplan-Meier method, survival rates were determined. Chart review identified 305 patients ( median age was 5.2 months) under the age of 3 who needed a tracheostomy. Tracheotomy indications in these patients included airway obstruction in 145 (48%), respiratory failure in 214 (70%), and pulmonary toilet in 10 (3.3%). It was noted that 79% of patients were ventilator-dependent at discharge. It was more probable to decannulate patients with ventilator dependence at initial discharge, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or obstruction of the airways. It was less probable that Hispanic patients would be decannulated. Based on the indication for the tracheostomy, the time to decannulation and probability of decannulation varies. At the conclusion of this research, most patients with tracheostomy were not decannulated. For patients with a median death time of 6 months, the median time to decannulation was 2.5 years. Patients were equally likely to die irrespective of ventilator status at discharge.