Outcome of mechanical ventilation in Central Africa.

The outcome of mechanical ventilation is reported in a prospective series of 200 patients managed in an intensive care unit in Zambia. Fifty two patients survived (26%), and 46 patients were subsequently discharged from hospital (23%). Ten patients died in whom a complication of ventilation was a factor. Patients not expected to survive by the authors had a 96.3% mortality whereas patients with a chance of survival had a mortality rate of 58.8%. Two diagnostic groups were found to have a high mortality: head injury (85.1%) and non-traumatic coma (76.4%). This series is compared with similar series from developed countries and recommendations are made for the institution of mechanical ventilation in the developing world.