title: Outcome of mechanical ventilation in Central Africa.
abstract: The outcome of mechanical ventilation is reported in a prospective series of 200 patients managed in an intensive care unit in Zambia. Fifty two patients survived (26%), and 46 patients were subsequently discharged from hospital (23%). Ten patients died in whom a complication of ventilation was a factor. Patients not expected to survive by the authors had a 96.3% mortality whereas patients with a chance of survival had a mortality rate of 58.8%. Two diagnostic groups were found to have a high mortality: head injury (85.1%) and non-traumatic coma (76.4%). This series is compared with similar series from developed countries and recommendations are made for the institution of mechanical ventilation in the developing world.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Zambia.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Watters
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davison
mesh_terms: D003128:Coma / Q000401:mortality; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000401:mortality; D003906:Developing Countries; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000401:mortality; D015024:Zambia