Respiratory care
-
Among survivors of intensive care, many remain dependent on mechanical ventilation and are discharged to long-term chronic ventilator units or to skilled nursing facilities. Few long-term outcome data are available on patients transferred from long-term chronic ventilator units. ⋯ Subjects discharged from an long-term chronic ventilator unit and were alive at 1 y had shorter stays in the ICU and were more likely to be discharged home. Further attention is warranted to assure the survival of critical care patients once they are discharged from intensive care units.
-
Observational Study
Lung Injury Etiology and Other Factors Influencing the Relationship Between Dead-Space Fraction and Mortality in ARDS.
In ARDS, elevated pulmonary dead-space fraction (VD/VT) is a particularly strong indicator of mortality risk. Whether the magnitude of VD/VT is modified by the underlying etiology of ARDS and whether this influences the strength of its association with mortality remains unknown. We sought to elucidate the impact of ARDS etiology on VD/VT and also to determine whether ARDS severity, as classified by the Berlin definition, has correspondence with changes in VD/VT. ⋯ VD/VT magnitude varies by ARDS etiology, as does mortality. Only in mild ARDS does VD/VT fail to distinguish non-survivors from survivors. Nonetheless, VD/VT has the strongest association with mortality risk in those with ARDS.
-
Consistency of definitional criteria for terminology applied to describe subject cohorts receiving mechanical ventilation within ICU and post-acute care settings is important for understanding prevalence, risk stratification, effectiveness of interventions, and projections for resource allocation. Our objective was to quantify the application and definition of terms for prolonged mechanical ventilation. We conducted a scoping review of studies (all designs except single-case study) reporting a study population (adult and pediatric) using the term prolonged mechanical ventilation or a synonym. ⋯ More than half of all studies (237, 57%) did not provide a reason/rationale for definitional criteria used, with only 28 studies (7%) referring to a consensus definition. We conclude that substantial variation exists in the terminology and definitional criteria for cohorts of subjects receiving prolonged mechanical ventilation. Standardization of terminology and definitional criteria is required for study data to be maximally informative.
-
Unplanned postoperative intubation is an important event that may influence the outcome of thyroid- and parathyroidectomies. We performed a focused study on the association of preoperative functional status with unplanned intubation outcomes in these relatively common surgeries. ⋯ Preoperative functional status is a good marker for identifying patients at risk for re-intubation after thyroid- and parathyroidectomy.