Plateau Pressure and Peak Airway Pressure as Predictors of Mortality in Mechanically Ventilated Patients – A Retrospective Observatioal Study

Abstract

Plateau pressure and peak airway pressure are directly related to the poor outcome of ventilator supported patients. Monitoring of these parameters helps clinicians in early identification of impending mortality and initiation of measures to prevent the same. This is a retrospective study in which 100 patients who were on ventilator support for >24 hours and died there after were studied. Here patient’s ventilatory parameters like plateau pressure and peak airway pressure were collected at base line, 1 hour, 30 min, 15 min, 5 min prior to cardiac arrest. Other ventilatory parameters like tidal volume and positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) were also collected. In all the studied patients plateau pressure and peak airway pressure at 1hour, 30min, 15min, and 5min prior to cardiac arrest were high compared to base line values. These values were statistically significant as ‘P’ value was < 0.05. We conclude that a continuous, sustained rise in plateau and peak airway pressure above the baseline is useful in predicting mortality in mechanically ventilated patients.