Over one-third of all hospitalized patients on mechanical ventilation require it for greater than or equal to 4 days. Prolonged acute mechanical ventilation patients exhibit a higher burden of both chronic and acute illness and experience higher rates than those on short-term mechanical ventilation of hospital-acquired complications and worse clinical and economic outcomes.

Among 691,961 patients meeting the enrollment criteria, 266,374 (38.5%) received prolonged acute mechanical ventilation.

At baseline, patients on prolonged acute mechanical ventilation were similar to short-term mechanical ventilation in age, gender, and race.

The prolonged acute mechanical ventilation group had a higher comorbidity burden than short-term mechanical ventilation.

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