Objective: Few contemporary population-based data exist about the incidence, patient
characteristics, and outcomes of mechanical ventilation in acute care hospitals. We sought
to describe the epidemiology of mechanical ventilation use in the United States. Design:
Retrospective cohort study using year 2005 hospital discharge records from six states.
National projections were generated from age-, race-, and sex-specific rates in the cohort.
Setting: Nonfederal acute care hospitals. Patients: All discharges that included invasive …