Post-ICU mechanical ventilation at 23 long-term care hospitals: a multicenter outcomes study.

Study Objectives: This multicenter study was undertaken to characterize the population of ventilator-dependent patients admitted to long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) with weaning programs, and to report treatments, complications, weaning outcome, discharge disposition, and survival in these patients.

Design: Observational study with concurrent data collection.

Setting: Twenty-three LTCHs in the United States.

Ventilator-dependent survivors of catastrophic illness transferred to 23 long-term care hospitals for weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation.

Study Objectives: This multicenter study was undertaken to characterize the population of ventilator-dependent patients admitted to long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) for weaning from mechanical ventilation.

Design: Observational study with concurrent data collection. Characteristics of the LTCHs were also surveyed.

Outcomes in post-ICU mechanical ventilation: a therapist-implemented weaning protocol.

Background: Therapist-implemented protocols have been used to extubate or wean patients in the ICU setting. Barlow Respiratory Hospital (BRH) functions as a center for weaning patients from prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) in the post-ICU setting of a long-term acute-care (LTAC) facility. A therapist-implemented patient-specific (TIPS) weaning protocol was developed at BRH to standardize weaning from PMV.

Post-ICU mechanical ventilation: treatment of 1,123 patients at a regional weaning center.

Study Objectives: To update our database, reporting changes in the results of weaning attempts and profile of patients transferred to us after prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) in the ICU.

Design: Retrospective record review, with prospective recording of physiologic measurements on admission from mid-1994.

Setting: Regional weaning center (RWC).