Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation: Symptomatology, Well-Being, and Attitudes to Life.
Jeremy M Jacobs, Esther-Lee Marcus, Jochanan Stessman
PMID 32907755WHAT IT FOUND
Most patients who could communicate while on prolonged ventilation would choose ventilation again.
Few reported severe symptoms, but impaired well-being and positive depression screens were common.
Key findings
01In 62 communicative patients, the mean total symptom score was 24.5 on a 0-100 scale, and most symptom subitems were below 4 on a 0-10 scale.
02Only 1 of 62 participants had formal advance directives before ventilation, but 52 of 61 said they would choose ventilation again.
03Depression screening was positive in 38% of participants, including 34% of home patients and 44% of LTAC patients.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only patients who could communicate were included, so it does not represent patients who could not communicate, patients who declined ventilation, or patients who did not survive long enough for prolonged ventilation. All patients were treated within one health service and one city, so local standards and practices may have influenced the findings. The study measured symptoms, mood, and attitudes at one time and did not test whether ventilation, home care, or long-term care caused these outcomes.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not report conflicts of interest or funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that prolonged ventilation is tolerable for all patients. It included only patients who could communicate and survived to long-term ventilation, and it did not show that ventilation caused better well-being or fewer symptoms.