title: [Mechanical ventilation in intensive care units: indications, modalities and complications. Results of a prospective multicenter survey in Tunisia].
abstract: The survey was performed during the month of March 1998 and concerned 9 ICUs located in teaching hospitals. To be included each ICU had to MV for more than 12 hours were included in the study and had a 28 day follow-up in the ICU or until hospital discharge. Collected parameters were indications of MV, modalities of MV and of weaning, complication and outcome at hospital discharge. Assist-control ventilation was the most used ventilation modality (69.8%). Weaning of MV was performed in 63% of the study patients and was based on a once-a-day attempt of spontaneous breathing through a T-piece (59.5%) and a combination of intermittent mandatory ventilation with pressure support (IMV-PS: 27%) or pressure support alone (11.2%). Mean length of hospital stay was 19.7 +/- 15.9 days of which 11.6 days were spent in the ICU. Fifty nine patients (54%) were alive at discharge form the ICU of whom 4 ultimately died during their hospital stay. MV practice as well as ICU facilities are not homogenous in Tunisia. Recommendations and guidelines should be built in order to standardize MV practice in Tunisia.
authors.affiliation: Service de Réanimation, CHU H. Bourguiba Sfax.
authors.forename: Hedi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chelli
authors.forename: Lamia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Besbes
authors.forename: Jalila
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ben Khelil
authors.forename: Hafedh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thabet
authors.forename: Bechir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bouhaja
authors.forename: Selma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghedira
authors.forename: Salh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben Lakhal
authors.forename: Afef
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bchir
authors.forename: Mourad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gahbiche
authors.forename: Mounir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bouaziz
authors.forename: Souheil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: el Atrous
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Besbes
authors.forename: Mouldi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amamou
authors.forename: Mohamed Salah
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ben Ammar
authors.forename: Abdelmajid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Daoud
authors.forename: Slah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bouchoucha
authors.forename: Fekri
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abroug
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D014416:Tunisia; D015300:Ventilator Weaning