The role of assisted ventilation in survival after respiratory failure in children with AIDS
D. L. Abadco, M. Rao, R. E. Kravath and P. Steiner
Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Children's Medical Center of Brooklyn, NY.
OBJECTIVES--To determine the role of assisted ventilation in children with
the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and acute respiratory failure, and
to identify any measurement or variable that predicted survival.
DESIGN--Retrospective study. SETTING--Kings County (New York) Hospital
Center, a tertiary-level inner-city municipal hospital.
PARTICIPANTS--Twenty-three children with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
who were endotracheally intubated and mechanically ventilated because of
acute respiratory failure. MEASUREMENTS/MAIN RESULTS--There were 24
episodes of acute respiratory failure, as one patient survived a first
episode and died during the second episode 2 years later. We failed to
identify any measurement or variable that predicted survival. During 12
episodes (50%), the patients survived and were weaned from the ventilator.
CONCLUSIONS--Our findings indicate that a decision to avoid intubation and
assisted ventilation in a child with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and
acute respiratory failure should not be made based merely on the
presumption of a lethal outcome.
