Expiratory flow limitation in intensive care: prevalence and risk factors.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Expiratory flow limitation (EFL) is characterised by a markedly reduced expiratory flow insensitive to the expiratory driving pressure. The presence of EFL can influence the respiratory and cardiovascular function and damage the small airways; its occurrence has been demonstrated in different diseases, such as COPD, asthma, obesity, cardiac failure, ARDS, and cystic fibrosis. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of EFL in patients requiring mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure and to determine the main clinical characteristics, the risk factors and clinical outcome associated with the presence of EFL.

Methods

Patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with an expected length of mechanical ventilation of 72 h were enrolled in this prospect

SUBMITTER: Volta CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6896682 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature