While mechanical ventilation can save patients lives, it can also lead to complications like infections. To help healthcare professionals better determine when a patient can be safely taken off mechanical ventilation, the American College of Chest Physicians and the American Thoracic Society released updated guidelines Monday.
Reducing the length of time a patient is on ventilation also reduces the risk of complications caused by the ventilation.
The new guidelines update CHEST's 2001 guidance.
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"These latest guidelines are informed by many studies published in the last 10 to 15 years that look at other factors that critical care clinicians control that affect a patient's ability to be liberated from the ventilator in a timely manner," said Daniel Ouellette, MD, co-lead author of the guidance.
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