The use of mechanical ventilation in the ED

Objectives

Although EDs are responsible for the initial care of critically ill patients and the amount of critical care provided in the ED is increasing, there are few data examining mechanical ventilation (MV) in the ED. In addition, characteristics of ED-based ventilation may affect planning for ventilator shortages during pandemic influenza or bioterrorist events. The study examined the epidemiology of MV in US EDs, including demographic, clinical, and hospital characteristics; indications for MV; ED length of stay (LOS); and in-hospital mortality.

Methods

This study was a retrospective review of the 1993 to 2007 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey ED data sets. Ventilated patients were compared with ED patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and to all other ED visits.

Results

There were 3.6 million ED MV visits (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.2-4.0 million) over the study period. Sex, age, race, and payment source were similar for mechanically ventilated and ICU patients (P > .05 for all). Approximately 12.5% of ventilated patients underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation compared with 1.7% of ICU admissions and 0.2% of all other ED visits (P < .0001). Accordingly, in-hospital mortality was significantly higher for ventilated patients (24%; 95% CI, 13.1%-34.9%) than both comparison groups (9.3% and 2.5%, respectively). Median LOS for ventilated patients was 197 minutes (interquartile range, 112-313 minutes) compared with 224 minutes for ICU admissions and 140 minutes for all other ED visits.

Conclusions

Patients undergoing ED MV have particularly high in-hospital mortality rates, but their ED LOS is sufficient for implementation of evidence-based ventilator interventions.     

Evidence-based clinical improvement for mechanically ventilated patients.

Bundling or grouping together evidence-based interventions to improve care for the mechanically ventilated patient was piloted by a 10-bed medical-surgical critical care unit of a hospital. The bundled care interventions included: (a) keeping the head of bed elevated at 30 degrees, (b) instituting daily interruption of continuous sedative infusion, (c) assessing readiness to wean using a rapid-wean assessment guide, (d) initiating deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis, and (e) implementing peptic ulcer disease prophylaxis. The interventions were implemented using a plan-do-check-act quality-improvement methodology. Results indicated that the use of bundled interventions for mechanically ventilated patients could decrease average ventilator times and average length of stay with no concomitant increase in reintubations. Average mortality rates and the number of adverse events per 100 patient days also were reduced.     

Implementation of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Clinical Guideline (Bundle)

BackgroundVentilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and its prevention is a significant concern for ventilated patients in the intensive care unit.MethodsRetrospective chart review that evaluated VAP rates from August and September 2010 (control group). In addition, a chart review evaluated VAP rates from August through September 2011 (experimental group).OutcomesImplementation of the VAP bundle will decrease ventilator days, length of stay (LOS), and VAP rates. The variables include age, ventilator days, LOS.DesignSingle center retrospective chart review in a combined surgical and medical ICUConclusionThis study provided evidence that the implementation of a VAP bundle reduced LOS.     

Implementation of an institutional program to improve clinical and financial outcomes of mechanically ventilated patients: one-year outcomes and lessons learned

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of an institutional approach to the care of patients requiring mechanical ventilation for longer than three consecutive days in five adult intensive care units (ICU) on clinical and financial outcomes. DESIGN: A multidisciplinary team was selected from five adult ICUs to design the approach. Planning occurred from August 1999 to September 2000. The process was called outcomes management (OM) and included an evidence-based clinical pathway, protocols for weaning and sedation use, and the selection of four advanced practice nurses (called outcomes managers) to manage and monitor the program. SETTING: The project was completed in a 550-bed mid-Atlantic academic medical center. The ICUs included the following: coronary care, medical ICU, neuroscience ICU, surgical trauma ICU, and thoracic cardiovascular ICU. PATIENTS: The sample included 595 pre-OM patients and 510 post-OM patients mechanically ventilated for greater than three consecutive days. INTERVENTIONS: Full implementation of the OM approach occurred in March 2001. Retrospective baseline (18 months pre-OM) and prospective (12 months OM) clinical and financial data were compared. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Statistically significant differences in clinical outcomes were demonstrated in the managed patients compared with those managed before the institutional approach. Outcomes include ventilator duration (median days declined from ten to nine; p =.0001), ICU length of stay (median days declined from 15 to 12; p =.0008), hospital length of stay (median days declined from 22 to 20; p =.0001), and mortality rate (declined from 38% to 31%, p =.02). More than 3,000,000 US dollars cost savings were realized in the OM group. CONCLUSIONS: This institutional approach to the care of patients ventilated >3 days improved all clinical and financial outcomes of interest. To date, few similar initiatives have demonstrated similar results. The approach and lessons learned in this process improvement project may be helpful to other institutions attempting to improve outcomes in this vulnerable population.     

集束化策略在机械通气患者中的应用效果评价

目的 探讨集束化策略在机械通气患者中的应用效果。方法 采用前瞻性研究方法,选取2017年12月—2018年12月入住深圳市某医院ICU行机械通气的70例患者,随机分为试验组与对照组,每组35例。试验组采取集束化策略,对照组采取常规措施,观察10 d,分析比较两组谵妄发生率、机械通气时长、镇静镇痛剂用量、非计划性拔管率、病死率、ICU住院天数及费用的差异。结果 试验组谵妄发生率、机械通气时长、镇静镇痛剂用量、ICU住院天数及费用低于对照组,差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）;非计划性拔管率、病死率两组比较,差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）。结论 集束化策略能有效预防或减少谵妄发生,缩短机械通气时长,减少镇静镇痛剂用量,改善疾病预后,且安全有效、经济可行。     

Subglottic Secretion Drainage for Preventing Ventilator Associated Pneumonia: A Meta-analysis

Objective:Ventilator associated pneumonia(VAP) has been shown to be associated with significant morbidity and mortality(Chastre and Fagon,2002;klompas,2007) among mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit(ICU),with the incidence ranging from 9%to 21%;crude mortality ranges from 25%to 50%.A meta- analysis of published studies was undertaken to combine information regarding the effect of subglottic secretion drainage(SSD) on the incidence of ventilated associated pneumonia in adult ICU patients.Methods:Reports of studies on SSD were identified by searching the PUBMED,EMBASE,and COCHRANCE LIBRARY databases(December 30,2010).Randomized trials of SSD compared to usual care in adult mechanically ventilated ICU patients were included in this meta-analysis.Results:Ten RCTs with 2,314 patients were identified.SSD significantly reduced the incidence of VAP[relative risk(RR) = 0.52,95%confidence interval(CI):0.42- 0.64,P 0.000 01].When SSD was compared with the control groups,the overall RR for ICU mortality was 1.00(95%CI,0.84- 1.19) and for hospital mortality was 0.95(95%CI,0.80- 1.13).Overall,the subglottic drainage effect on the days of mechanical ventilation was-1.52 days(95%CI,-2.94 to-0.11) and on the ICU length of stay(LOS) was-0.81days(95%CI,-2.33 to-0.7).Conclusions:In this meta-analysis,when an endotracheal tube(ETT) with SSD was compared with an ETT without SSD,there was a highly significant reduction in the VAP rate of approximately 50%.Time on mechanical ventilation(MV) and the ICU LOS may be reduced,but no reduction in ICU or hospital mortality has been observed in published trials.     

Impact of staffing levels and resources of intensive care units on compliance to standard mechanical ventilator guidelines: A city-wide study in times of COVID-19 pandemic

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected millions and resulted in a considerable strain on healthcare systems around the world. Intensive care units (ICUs) are reported to be affected the most because significant percentage of ICU patients requires respiratory support through mechanical ventilation (MV).

Aim

This study aims to examine the staffing levels and compliance with a ventilator care bundle in a single city in Pakistan.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey of 14 ICUs including medical and surgical ICUs was conducted through a self-structured questionnaire including a standardized ventilator care bundle. We assessed the compliance of ICU staff to ventilator care bundle and calculated the correlation between staffing patterns with compliance to this bundle.

Results

The unit response rate was 64% (7/11 hospitals). Across these seven hospitals, there were 14 functional ICUs (7 surgical and 7 medical). The Mean (SD) numbers of beds and ventilators were 8.14 (3.39) and 5.78 (3.68) while the average patient-to-nurse and patient-to-doctor ratio was 3: 1 and 5:1 respectively. The median ventilator care bundle compliance score was 26 (IQR = 21–28) out of 30, while in medical and surgical ICUs, median scores were 24 (IQR = 19–26) and 28 (IQR = 23–30) respectively. The perceived least compliant component was head elevation in ventilated patients. Correlation analysis revealed that 24 h a day, 7 days a week onsite cover of Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support certified staff was positively correlated with the ventilator care bundle score (r_s = 0.654, p value = .011). Similarly, 24-h cover of senior ICU nurses was significantly correlated with the application of chlorhexidine oral care (r_s = 0.676, p value = .008) while routine subglottic aspiration was correlated with the number of doctors (r_s = 0.636, p value = .014).

Conclusion

Our study suggests that ICUs in Peshawar are not well staffed in comparison with international standards and the compliance of ICUs with the ventilator care bundle is suboptimal. We found only a few aspects of ventilator care bundle compliance were related to nursing and medical staffing levels.

Relevance to clinical practice

Critical care staffs at most of the medical ICUs in Peshawar are not compliant with the standard guidelines for patients on mechanical ventilation. Moreover, the staffing levels at these ICUs are not in accordance with international standards. However, this study suggests that staffing levels may not be the only cause of non-compliance with standard mechanical ventilator guidelines. There is an urgent need to design and implement a program that can enhance and monitor the quality of nursing care provided to mechanically ventilated patients. Lastly, nurse staffing of ICUs in Pakistan must be increased to enable high quality care and more doctors should be trained in critical care.     

Test-ordering strategy in the intensive care unit

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of an intervention designed to reduce utilization of portable chest x-rays (CXRs) in the intensive care unit (ICU). In this prospective observational study, patients representing 2734 consecutive admissions over a 35-month period were studied. Data collected from the comprehensive ICU database included patient days, ventilator days, number of admissions to the unit, number of CXRs ordered, costs for CXR, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (Apache II) scores, ICU length of stay (LOS), length of mechanical ventilation, inadvertent extubations from mechanical ventilation, and reintubation within 48 hours of planned extubation. There was a 22.5% reduction in the rate CXR utilization during the study period, resulting in a $109,968 cost savings, and these savings were not associated with any adverse clinical outcomes.     

Ventilation bundle compliance in two Australian intensive care units: An observational study

BackgroundThe ventilation bundle has been used in adult intensive care units to decrease harm and improve quality of care for mechanically ventilated patients. The ventilation bundle focuses on prevention of specific complications of mechanical ventilation; ventilator-associated pneumonia, sepsis, barotrauma, pulmonary oedema, pulmonary embolism, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement ventilation bundle consists of five structured evidence-based interventions: head of the bed elevation at 30–45°; daily sedation interruptions and assessment of readiness to extubate; peptic ulcer prophylaxis; deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis; and daily oral care with chlorhexidine.ObjectivesThe objective of the study was to evaluate the use of the ventilation bundle in two intensive care units in Victoria, Australia.MethodsThis is a 3-month prospective observational study in two intensive care units. Patient medical records were reviewed on days 3, 4, and 5 of mechanical ventilation using a prevalidated ventilation bundle checklist.ResultsA total of 96 critically ill patients required mechanical ventilation for more than 2 d. Patients had a mean age of 64.50 y (standard deviation = 14.89), with an Acute Physiology, Age, Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) III mean score of 79.27 (standard deviation = 27.11). The mean ventilation bundle compliance rate was 88.3% on the three consecutive mechanical ventilation days (day 3 = 79.4%, day 4 = 91.1%, and day 5 = 96.7%). There was a statistically significant difference in the mean APACHE III score between patients who had head of bed elevation and those without head of bed elevation, on days 3 (p = <0.001) and 4 (p = 0.007).ConclusionThe ventilation bundle elements were used in Australian intensive care units. The likelihood of having all ventilation bundle elements on day 3 was low if the patient's APACHE III score was high. However, the ventilation bundle compliance rate increased with mechanical ventilation days.     

The impact of time to tracheostomy on mechanical ventilation duration, length of stay, and mortality in intensive care unit patients

Introduction

This study examined the potential effects of time to tracheostomy on mechanical ventilation duration, intensive care unit (ICU), and hospital length of stay (LOS), and ICU and hospital mortality.

Methods

Cohort observational study was conducted in a tertiary care medical-surgical ICU based on a prospectively collected ICU database. We included 531 consecutive patients who were admitted between March 1999 and February 2005, and underwent tracheostomy during their ICU stay. The effect of time to tracheostomy on the different outcomes assessed was estimated using multivariate regression analyses (linear or logistic, based on the type of variables). Other independent variables that were included in the analyses included selected admission characteristics.

Results

Mean ± SD was 12.0 ± 7.3 days for time to tracheostomy, and 23.1 ± 18.9 days for ICU LOS. Time to tracheostomy was associated with an increased duration of mechanical ventilation (β-coefficient = 1.31 for each day; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14-1.48), ICU LOS (β-coefficient = 1.31 for each day; 95% CI, 1.13-1.48), and hospital LOS (β-coefficient = 1.80 for each day; 95% CI, 0.65-2.94). On the other hand, time to tracheostomy was not associated with increased ICU or hospital mortality.

Conclusions

Time to tracheostomy was independently associated with increased mechanical ventilation duration, ICU LOS, and hospital LOS, but was not associated with increased mortality. Performing tracheostomy earlier in the course of ICU stay may have an effect on ICU resources and could entail significant cost-savings without adversely affecting patient mortality.     

Oral Care Reduces Incidence of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in ICU Populations

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether oral care contributes to preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in ICU patients. DESIGN: Nonrandomized trial with historical controls. SETTING: A medical-surgical ICU in a university hospital. PATIENTS: 1,666 mechanically ventilated patients admitted to the ICU. INTERVENTION: Oral care was provided to 1,252 patients who were admitted to the ICU during period between January 1997 and December 2002 (oral care group), while 414 patients who were admitted to the ICU during period between January 1995 and December 1996 and who did not receive oral care served as historical controls (non-oral care group). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Incidence of VAP(episodes of pneumonia per 1000 ventilator days) in the oral care group was significantly lower than that in the non-oral care group (3.9 vs 10.4). The relative risk of VAP in the oral care group compared to that in the non-oral care group was 0.37, with an attributable risk of -3.96%. Furthermore, length of stay in ICU before onset of VAP was greater in the oral care than in the non-oral care group (8.5+/-4.6 vs 6.3+/-7.5 days). However, no significant difference was observed in either duration of mechanical ventilation or length of stay between the groups (5.9+/-10.8 vs 6.0+/-8.8 days and 7.5+/-11.5 vs 7.2+/-9.5 days, respectively). Pseudomonoas aeruginosa was the most frequently detected bacteria in both groups. Number of potentially pathogenic bacteria in oral cavity was significantly reduced by single oral care procedure. CONCLUSION: Oral care decreased the incidence of VAP in ICU patients. DESCRIPTOR: Pulmonary nosocomial infection.     

Acute and chronic paediatric intensive care patients: current trends and perspectives on resource utilization

BACKGROUND: Advances in paediatric critical care have resulted in increased survival of critically ill patients, many of whom require long-term ventilation as a means of life support. AIM: To determine current trends in resource utilization, and problems in the care of acute and chronic paediatric intensive care patients. DESIGN: Open observational study. METHODS: We evaluated consecutive admissions (n = 1629) to a 10-bed paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) over a 5-year period. Three previously defined criteria for resource utilization were used: mean length of stay (LOS); length of mechanical ventilation (LOMV); and LOMV/LOS ratio. RESULTS: A total of 10 310 patient bed days and 5223 ventilator days were used. Mean LOS increased from 5.3 +/- 12 days in 1998 to 8.7 +/- 27 days in 2001 (p < 0.05). Although LOMV/LOS ratio (50.7%) was significantly correlated with Paediatric Risk of Mortality score (p < 0.0001), there was no significant change in mortality rate (12.6% vs. 12%). Patients hospitalized for >2 weeks (n = 320, 20%) used 55% of LOS and 57% of LOMV, in contrast to the 1298 (80%) hospitalized for <7 days, who used only 29% of LOS and 20% of LOMV. Patients hospitalized for >3 months (11, 0.7%) consumed 17% of LOS and 23% of LOMV. Five of these (45%) were eventually discharged home, two on ventilators. CONCLUSION: The increasing trend of occupation of PICU bed and ventilator days by critically ill children may be related to the increasing trend for hospitalization of chronic care patients. Severity scoring systems were predictive of resource consumption, but not of the overall trend in mortality rate.     

Effect of a collaborative weaning plan on patient outcome in the critical care setting

OBJECTIVE: The process of weaning from mechanical ventilation can be complex, requiring collaborative care planning by members of the healthcare team. Improved outcomes have been demonstrated to result from collaborative decision-making processes (e.g., when ventilator teams were utilized). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a collaborative weaning plan (CWP) on length of time on mechanical ventilation, length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), and cost. DESIGN: A new, collaborative weaning plan in the form of a weaning board and flowsheet was introduced into a medical intensive care unit (MICU) setting. A pre- and post-quasi-experimental design using historical controls was used to test the hypotheses. Attempts to control for the effects of history were made by collecting data related to patient, staffing, and organizational variables that could independently effect outcome. SETTING: MICU in a west coast teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation for 3 days or greater. INTERVENTION: Implementation of a collaborative weaning plan. MEASUREMENTS: Outcomes studied included length of stay in the MICU, length of time patients were mechanically ventilated in the MICU, cost per MICU stay, and the incidence of complications (e.g., reventilation, readmission to the ICU, and mortality rate). MAIN RESULTS: The CWP decreased length of stay in the MICU by 3.6 days (p =.03) and length of ventilator time by 2.7 days (p =.06). There were no significant differences between groups related to cost or incidence of complications. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the usefulness of collaborative structures (such as weaning boards/flowsheets) in decreasing ICU length of stay.     

呼吸机集束化干预策略对恶性肿瘤患者呼吸机相关性肺炎的预防效果

目的 探讨呼吸机集束化干预策略在恶性肿瘤患者呼吸机相关性肺炎（VAP）的预防作用.方法 采用前瞻性研究方法,对我院147例ICU的机械通气恶性肿瘤患者进行集束化干预策略,采取抬高头部≥30°角体位、每日唤醒并评估患者进行脱机实验,预防消化性溃疡以及深静脉血栓的预防等措施.比较实施前后患者的机械通气时间、VAP发生率.结果 采用集束化干预策略后,患者VAP的发生率有所下降,机械通气时间缩短,入住ICU时间较对照组明显缩短.结论 呼吸机集束化干预策略可预防恶性肿瘤患者VAP的发生,值得临床推广应用.     

Nurse-driven,protocol-directed weaning from mechanical ventilation improves clinical outcomes and is well accepted by intensive care unit physicians

Purpose

Ventilator weaning protocols can improve clinical outcomes, but their impact may vary depending on intensive care unit (ICU) structure, staffing, and acceptability by ICU physicians. This study was undertaken to examine their relationship.

Design/Methods

We prospectively examined outcomes of 102 mechanically ventilated patients for more than 24 hours and weaned using nurse-driven protocol-directed approach (nurse-driven group) in an intensivist-led ICU with low respiratory therapist staffing and compared them with a historic control of 100 patients who received conventional physician-driven weaning (physician-driven group). We administered a survey to assess ICU physicians' attitude.

Results

Median durations of mechanical ventilation (MV) in the nurse-driven and physician-driven groups were 2 and 4 days, respectively (P = .001). Median durations of ICU length of stay (LOS) in the nurse-driven and physician-driven groups were 5 and 7 days, respectively (P = .01). Time of extubation was 2 hours and 13 minutes earlier in the nurse-driven group (P < .001). There was no difference in hospital LOS, hospital mortality, rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia, or reintubation rates between the 2 groups. We identified 4 independent predictors of weaning duration: nurse-driven weaning, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, vasoactive medications use, and blood transfusion. Intensive care unit physicians viewed this protocol implementation positively (mean scores, 1.59-1.87 on a 5-point Likert scale).

Conclusions

A protocol for liberation from MV driven by ICU nurses decreased the duration of MV and ICU LOS in mechanically ventilated patients for more than 24 hours without adverse effects and was well accepted by ICU physicians.     

Qualitative review of intensive care unit quality indicators

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to (1) conduct a systematic review of the literature to identify interventions that improve patient outcomes in the intensive care unit (ICU); (2) evaluate potential measures of quality based on the impact, feasibility, variability, and the strength of evidence to support each measure and to categorize these measures as outcome, process, access, or complication measures; and (3) select a list of candidate quality measures that can be broadly applied to improve ICU care. METHODS: We identified and independently reviewed all studies in Medline (1965-2000) and The Cochrane Library (Issue 3, 2001) that met the following criteria: design: observational studies, experimental trials, or systematic reviews; population: critically ill adults; and intervention: process or structure measure that was associated with improved patient outcomes: morbidity, mortality, complications, errors, costs, length of stay (LOS), and patient reported outcomes. Studies were grouped into categories by the type of outcome that was improved by the intervention. Potential quality measures were evaluated for: impact on morbidity, mortality, and costs; feasibility of the measure; and variability in the measure. We evaluated the strength of evidence for each intervention used to improve outcomes and using the Delphi method, assigned an over-all recommendation for each quality measure. RESULTS: A total of 3,014 citations were identified. Sixty-six studies that met selection criteria reported on a variety of interventions that were associated with improved patient outcomes. We identified 6 outcome measures: ICU mortality rate, ICU LOS greater than 7 days, average ICU LOS, average days on mechanical ventilation, suboptimal management of pain, and patient/family satisfaction; 6 process measures: effective assessment of pain, appropriate use of blood transfusions, prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia, appropriate sedation, appropriate peptic ulcer disease prophylaxis, and appropriate deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis; 4 access measures: rate of delayed admissions, rate of delayed discharges, cancelled surgical cases, and emergency department by-pass hours; and 3 complication measures: rate of unplanned ICU readmission, rate of catheter-related blood stream infections, and rate of resistant infections. CONCLUSIONS: Further work is needed to create operational definitions and to pilot test the selected measures.The value of these measures will be determined by our ability to evaluate our current performance and implement interventions designed to improve the quality of ICU care.     

Clinical review: Liberation from mechanical ventilation

Mechanical ventilation is the defining event of intensive care unit (ICU) management. Although it is a life saving intervention in patients with acute respiratory failure and other disease entities, a major goal of critical care clinicians should be to liberate patients from mechanical ventilation as early as possible to avoid the multitude of complications and risks associated with prolonged unnecessary mechanical ventilation, including ventilator induced lung injury, ventilator associated pneumonia, increased length of ICU and hospital stay, and increased cost of care delivery. This review highlights the recent developments in assessing and testing for readiness of liberation from mechanical ventilation, the etiology of weaning failure, the value of weaning protocols, and a simple practical approach for liberation from mechanical ventilation.     

Integrating a safety smart list into the electronic health record decreases intensive care unit length of stay and cost

PurposeTo measure how an integrated smartlist developed for critically ill patients would change intensive care units (ICUs) length of stay (LOS), mortality, and charges.Materials and methodsPropensity-score analysis of adult patients admitted to one of 14 surgical and medical ICUs between June 2017 and May 2018. The smart list aimed to certain preventative measures for all critical patients (e.g., removing unneeded catheters, starting thromboembolic prophylaxis, etc.) and was integrated into the electronic health record workflows at the hospitals under study.ResultsDuring the study period, 11,979 patients were treated in the 14 participating ICUs by 518 unique providers. Patients who had the smart list used during ≥60% of their ICU stay (N = 432 patients, 3.6%) were significantly more likely to have a shorter ICU LOS (HR = 1.20, 95% CI:1.0 to 1.4, p = 0.015) with an average decrease of -$1218 (95% CI: -$1830 to -$607, P < 0.001) in the amount charged per day. The intervention cohort had fewer average ventilator days (3.05 vent days, SD = 2.55) compared to propensity score matched controls (3.99, SD = 4.68, p = 0.015), but no changes in mortality (16.7% vs 16.0%, p = 0.78).ConclusionsAn integrated smart list shortened LOS and lowered charges in a diverse cohort of critically ill patients.     

The mechanical ventilator: past, present, and future

The use of ventilatory assistance can be traced back to biblical times. However, mechanical ventilators, in the form of negative-pressure ventilation, first appeared in the early 1800s. Positive-pressure devices started to become available around 1900 and today's typical intensive care unit (ICU) ventilator did not begin to be developed until the 1940s. From the original 1940s ventilators until today, 4 distinct generations of ICU ventilators have existed, each with features different from that of the previous generation. All of the advancements in ICU ventilator design over these generations provide the basis for speculation on the future. ICU ventilators of the future will be able to integrate electronically with other bedside technology; they will be able to effectively ventilate all patients in all settings, invasively and noninvasively; ventilator management protocols will be incorporated into the basic operation of the ventilator; organized information will be presented instead of rows of unrelated data; alarm systems will be smart; closed-loop control will be present on most aspects of ventilatory support; and decision support will be available. The key term that will be used to identify these future ventilators will be smart!     

程序化护理干预在机械通气病人中的应用效果观察

[目的]观察程序化护理干预在机械通气病人中的应用效果。[方法]将110例机械通气病人随机分为观察组60例与对照组50例,对照组病人给予常规护理,观察组在此基础上给予程序化护理干预措施,比较两组病人机械通气时间、重症监护室（ICU）监护时间及发生医院感染、呼吸机相关性肺炎（VAP ）及死亡情况。[结果]观察组机械通气时间及 ICU监护时间均少于对照组（P〈0.01）,观察组病人医院感染、VAP 及死亡发生率均低于对照组（P〈0.05）。[结论]程序化护理干预在机械通气病人中应用可降低治疗风险、提高临床疗效。