title: Prolonged mechanical ventilation: are your ventilator patients ready to be cared for outside ICU?
abstract: A significant number of patients in the ICU require prolonged periods of ventilator support. We present here, four such patients and incorporate the recent recommendations of a consensus conference on prolonged mechanical ventilation. We hope our case studies will enable physicians to better manage and care for this challenging group of patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, WVU School of Medicine, Morgantown, USA.
authors.forename: Aamer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: Harakh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dedhia
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Teba
authors.forename: Cuddalore P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Vasudevan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D013997:Time Factors