“Early” and “delayed” intubation of COVID-19 patients: Different definitions, different populations

Highlights

• In COVID-19, the definition of “early” vs. “delayed” intubation is controversial.

• A literal definition based on a duration criterion is mainly used.

• In this study, this temporal definition is compared to a clinical one.

• 50% of patients are mismatched using the temporal vs. the clinical definition.

• This could lead to difficulties in interpreting the results of studies on this matter.