Factors associated with survival in patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit in Colombia v1

Factors associated with survival in patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit in Colombia Objective: To determine the clinical characteristics and outcomes of critically ill patients who required invasive mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit of a high-complexity hospital in Colombia. Methods: This was a retrospective follow-up study of a cohort of adult patients who required invasive mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit. Sociodemographic, clinical, and pharmacological variables were identified. Using Cox regression, variables associated with survival and complications were identified. Results: A total of 357 patients were analyzed. They had an average age of 64.8±18.9 years, and 52.9% were male. The most frequent diagnoses were sepsis/septic shock (38.4%) and trauma (17.4%). The main factors associated with shorter survival were advanced age (HR:0.97, 95%CI:0.96–0.99), a diagnosis of septic shock (HR:0.29; 95%CI:0.18–0.48) or diabetes mellitus at admission (HR:0.57; 95%CI:0.33–0.98), suffering from a healthcare-associated infection (HR: HR:0.51; 95%CI:0.33–0.80), and the need for vasopressors (HR:0.36; 95%CI:0.22–0.59). The administration of systemic corticosteroids was associated with a higher probability of survival (HR:1.93; 95%CI:1.15–3.25). Conclusions: The use of systemic corticosteroids was associated with a greater probability of survival in critically ill patients who required invasive mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit. The identification of the variables associated with a higher risk of dying should allow care protocols to be improved, thereby extending the life expectancy of these patients.