title: The epidemiology of acute respiratory failure in hospitalized patients: a Brazilian prospective cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess risk factors associated with the development of acute respiratory failure (ARF) and death in a general intensive care unit (ICU).
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults who were hospitalized at 12 surgical and nonsurgical ICUs were prospectively followed up. Multivariable analyses were realized to determine the risk factors for ARF and point out the prognostic factors for mortality in these patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1732 patients were evaluated, with an ARF prevalence of 57%. Of the 889 patients who were admitted without ARF, 141 (16%) developed this syndrome in the ICU. The independent risk factors for developing ARF were 64 years of age or older, longer time between hospital and ICU admission, unscheduled surgical or clinical reason for ICU admission, and severity of illness. Of the 984 patients with ARF, 475 (48%) died during the ICU stay. Independent prognostic factors for death were age older than 64 years, time between hospital and ICU admission of more than 4 days, history of hematologic malignancy or AIDS, the development of ARF in ICU, acute lung injury, and severity of illness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acute respiratory failure represents a large percentage of all ICU patients, and the high mortality is related to some preventable factors such as the time to ICU admission.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Division, InCor, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil 05403-900.
authors.forename: Suelene Aires
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Franca
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Toufen
authors.forename: André Luiz D
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hovnanian
authors.forename: André Luís P
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Albuquerque
authors.forename: Eduardo R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Vladimir R P
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Pizzo
authors.forename: Carlos Roberto Ribeiro
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors