Articles: cations.
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Critical care medicine · Nov 2020
Characteristics, Hospital Course, and Outcomes of Patients Requiring Prolonged Acute Versus Short-Term Mechanical Ventilation in the United States, 2014-2018.
Most patients requiring mechanical ventilation only require it for a short term (< 4 d of mechanical ventilation). Those undergoing prolonged acute mechanical ventilation (≥ 4 d mechanical ventilation) represent a select cohort who face significant morbidity, mortality, and resource utilization. Using administrative codes, we identified prolonged acute mechanical ventilation and short-term mechanical ventilation patients and compared their baseline characteristics, hospital events, and hospital outcomes. ⋯ Over one-third of all hospitalized patients on mechanical ventilation require it for greater than or equal to 4 days. Prolonged acute mechanical ventilation patients exhibit a higher burden of both chronic and acute illness and experience higher rates than those on short-term mechanical ventilation of hospital-acquired complications and worse clinical and economic outcomes.