Beyond a Marker of Severity: Reaffirming the Impact of Ventilator-Associated Events on Mortality

Highlights of the Reappraisal

In a recent multicenter observational study published in Intensive Care Medicine, researchers have provided new evidence regarding the impact of ventilator-associated events (VAEs) on patient outcomes. The key findings include:

1. VAEs were significantly associated with a twofold increase in 30-day hospital mortality (HR 2.00; 95% CI 1.23-3.26).
2. The study utilized a marginal structural model to account for time-dependent confounders, specifically changes in patient severity that occur after the initiation of mechanical ventilation.
3. The incidence of VAEs was 10.0 per 1,000 ventilation days, with an identified population attributable risk fraction (PARF) of 8.8% for in-hospital deaths.
4. Beyond mortality, VAEs were linked to significantly longer durations of hospital and ICU stays.