No difference in mechanical ventilation-free hours in critically ill patients who received intravenous, oral, or enteral phosphate replacement.

Purpose: To determine the impact on duration of mechanical ventilation (MV) and the need for reintubation after changing from intravenous (IV) to oral phosphate formulations, in response to a national shortage of IV phosphate.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed in adult patients who required MV for at least 48 hours.

Results: A total of 136 patients were included, with 68 patients in both the restricted phosphate group and unrestricted phosphate groups.