title: Outcome of mechanical ventilation in Sri Lanka.
abstract: The outcome of mechanical ventilation is reported in a series of 43 patients managed in an intensive care unit in Sri Lanka. Eighteen patients (42%) survived. Of these, all except one were discharged from hospital. Patients with organophosphate poisoning and Guillain-Barré polyneuritis had a mortality of 47% and 50% respectively. Patients who were ventilated postoperatively as a result of anaesthetic complications during surgery had a mortality rate of 20%. Patients with tetanus and myasthenia gravis had 100% recovery. The following categories of patients had a poor prognosis with 100% mortality: patients with severe head injuries, subarachnoid haemorrhage, non-traumatic coma, severe chest injuries and porphyria. The series is compared to similar series from other countries.
authors.affiliation: General Hospital Kandy (Teaching), Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: V P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Rajapakse
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wijesekera
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D062025:Organophosphate Poisoning; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011129:Polyradiculoneuropathy / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000453:epidemiology