title: Complications and Resource Utilization Associated With Mechanical Ventilation in a Medical Intensive Care Unit in 2013.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evolving strategies for ventilator management could reduce the frequency of complications, but there is limited information about complications in contemporary intensive care units.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively collected information about patient demographics, chest x-ray abnormalities, complications, including pneumothoraces, ventilator-associated events, self-extubation, and resource utilization in 174 patients who required mechanical ventilation in 2013.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 57.8 ± 16.8 years, the number of ventilator days was 7.5 ± 7, and the overall in-hospital mortality was 32.2%. The mean fluid balance per day during the mechanical ventilation period was 1539 ± 1721 mL. Three (1.7%) patients developed pneumothoraces, and 5 patients required chest tubes. Twenty-five (14.4%) patients had ventilator-associated events. Ten patients had episodes of self-extubation, and 11 had episodes of failed extubation. Chest X-rays showed new or increasing infiltrates in 113 (64.9%) patients and new or increasing pleural effusions in 29 (16.7%) patients. These patients had 1.2 ± 0.4 X-rays per day on the ventilator, and they had 10.0 ± 9.4 arterial blood gases and 0.7 ± 0.7 central lines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of ventilator-associated complications was low in this study. However, these patients frequently developed increasing infiltrates, and these outcomes need attention during patient management and are a potential focus for future studies.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Kavitha
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Selvan
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Hawa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Edriss
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sigler
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Kenneth M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Nugent
mesh_terms: D060666:Airway Extubation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003422:Critical Care; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006295:Health Resources; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015300:Ventilator Weaning
keywords: barotrauma; complications; mechanical ventilation; pulmonary infiltrates; resources; ventilator-associated events