Abstract
BACKGROUND: Characteristics of patients admitted to intensive care units with respiratory failure (RF) and undergoing mechanical ventilation (MV) have been described for particular indications and diseases, but there are few studies in the general Intensive Care Unit (ICU) population and even lesser from developing countries. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to study clinical characteristics, outcomes, and factors affecting outcomes in adult patients with RF on MV admitted to ICU. METHODS: A retrospective study of medical records of all patients admitted to ICU between January 1, 2015, and March 31, 2016. Patients receiving MV for more than 6 h were included in the study. Patients younger than 12 years were excluded. Data were recorded of all patients receiving MV during this period regarding demographics, indications for MV, type and characteristics of ventilation, concomitant complications and treatment, and outcomes. Data were recorded at the initiation of MV and daily all throughout the course of MV. The main outcome measure was all-cause mortality at the end of ICU stay. RESULTS: Of the 500 patients admitted to the ICU during the period of the study, a total of 122 patients received MV (and were included in study) for mean (standard deviation [SD]) duration of 4 (3.4) days. The mean (SD) stay in ICU and hospital was 4.49 (3.52) and 6.4 (3.6), respectively. Overall mortality for the unselected general ICU patients on MV was 67.21% while that for ARDS patients was 76.1%. The main factors independently associated with increased mortality were (i) pre-MV factors: age, Apache II scores, heart failure (odds ratio [OR], 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54-3.73; P < 0.001); (ii) patient management factors: positive end-expiratory pressure (OR, 2.69; 95% CI, 0.84-8.61; P < 0.001); (iii) Factors occurring over the course of MV: PaO(2)/FiO(2) ratio < 100 (OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 0.67-4.11; P < 0.001) and development of renal failure (OR, 2.33; 95% CI, 2.05-2.42; P < 0.001) and hepatic failure (OR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.91-2.24; P < 0.001) after initiation of MV. CONCLUSIONS: Outcomes of patients undergoing MV are dependent on various factors (including patient demographics, nature of associated morbidity, characteristics of the MV received, and conditions developing over course of MV) and these factors may be present before or develop after initiation of MV.