Computers a Boon to ICU Respiratory Care

MONDAY, Oct. 16 (HealthDay News) -- A computerized system may outperform doctors when it comes to certain aspects of care for patients with acute respiratory failure treated in the ICU, a new study finds.

Compared with the traditional physician-directed weaning process, the electronic system can significantly reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation and length of stay in the ICU for these patients, European researchers report.

The study included 74 patients who were weaned off ventilation using the computer-driven system and 70 patients managed with the usual doctor-controlled method.

The computerized process reduced the duration of mechanical ventilation from 12 days to 7.5 days and ICU stay from 15.5 days to 12 days.

"The computerized protocol included an automatic gradual reduction in pressure support, automatic performance of spontaneous breathing trials and generation of an incentive message when the patient''s spontaneous breathing trial was successfully passed," researcher Dr. Laurent J. Brochard, of the Hopital Henri Mondor in Creteil, France, explained in a prepared statement.

The study also found that patients weaned using the computerized process had a 30 percent reduction in the total number of ventilator-related complications, including reintubation; self-removal from ventilator assistance; need for noninvasive ventilation; mechanical ventilation longer than 21 days; and tracheotomy.

The findings were published in the October issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

"The (computerized) system used in the study was developed several years ago and has been repeatedly evaluated since then. It ensures that the desired ventilation protocol is applied," Brochard said.

More information

The American Thoracic Society has more about mechanical ventilation.

-- Robert Preidt

SOURCE: American Thoracic Society, news release, Oct. 16, 2006

Last Updated: Oct. 16, 2006

Copyright © 2006 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved.