ÌÇÐÄvlog

In Reply We appreciate the comments and responses to our article¹ from our colleagues across the world, as we all collectively seek to understand how to optimize airway management, specifically with regard to timing of tracheostomy, in the setting of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. All 3 of these letters highlight different challenges in aggregating, grouping, or randomizing patients who are intubated, because of the multiplicity of factors involved in decision-making on the road to tracheostomy. We agree particularly with Drs Rassekh, McGrath, and Brenner, that shared decision-making remains of central importance, though this inherently individualized approach can further complicate efforts to study larger cohorts systematically. We look forward to continuing these discussions, and contributing to our shared pool of prospective data, in the months and years ahead.

Corresponding Author: Paul E. Kwak, MD, MM, MSc, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 345 E 37th St, Suite 306, New York, NY 10016 (paul.kwak@nyulangone.org).

Published Online: March 25, 2021. doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2021.0175

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.