A 5-year observational study of lung-protective ventilation in the operating room: A single-center experience

• Published in: Journal of critical care Vol. 28; no. 4; pp. 533.e9 - 533.e15
• Main Authors: Hess, Dean R., PhD, RRT, Kondili, Dhimiter, Burns, Edward, RRT, Bittner, Edward A., MD, PhD, Schmidt, Ulrich H., MD, PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.08.2013; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Anesthesia; Anesthesia, General; Chi-Square Distribution; Classification; Critical Care; Female; Hospitals; Humans; Information management; Knowledge transfer; Logistic Models; Lung Diseases - prevention & control; Lung-protective ventilation; Male; Multivariate analysis; Operating Rooms; Positive end-expiratory pressure; Positive-Pressure Respiration; Respiration, Artificial - methods; Respiratory distress syndrome; Respiratory Function Tests; Retrospective Studies; Statistics, Nonparametric; Surgery; Tidal Volume; Variables; Ventilation; Anesthesia; Positive end-expiratory pressure; Knowledge transfer; Lung-protective ventilation; Tidal volume
• ISSN: 0883-9441; 1557-8615
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2012.11.014

Abstract Purpose We assessed the evolution of lung-protective ventilation strategies during anesthesia and identified factors associated with the selection of a nonprotective ventilation strategy. Methods This retrospective observational study covered a 5-year period from March 2006 to March 2011. It included 45 575 adult patients who underwent intubation de novo in the operating room. We considered a tidal volume ( VT ) greater than 10 mL/kg of ideal body weight (IBW) and/or positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) less than 5 cm H2 O as not lung protective. We evaluated the use of nonprotective ventilation strategies over time in men and women, by American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, and for elective vs emergent surgery. Results Over the duration of the study, there was a significant reduction in the percentage of patients receiving a VT greater than 10 mL/kg IBW (28.5%-16.3%, P < .001), zero PEEP (27.5%-18.2%, P < .001), and VT greater than 10 mL/kg IBW with PEEP less than 5 cm H2 O (13.4%-8.0%, P < .001). The odds of receiving nonprotective ventilation were greater for women than for men, in the first year compared with the last year, and for elective compared with emergent surgery. Conclusion Although use of nonprotective ventilation decreased over time, an important percentage of patients continue to receive nonprotective ventilation.